Founders' Heirs
by fhrulz21
Summary: AU preHBP. Harry and Company are sent to an alternate universe where his parents are still alive, he is dead and Voldemort is still very active. The twist, they have just beaten Voldemort in their dimension by uniting Hogwarts as the Founder's Heirs. HG,
1. The Appearance

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: Winter Moonglade

Summary: AU preHBP. Harry and Company are sent to an alternate universe where his parents are still alive, he is dead and Voldemort is still very active. The twist, they have just beaten Voldemort in their dimension by uniting Hogwarts as the Founder's Heirs. H/G, R/Hr

* * *

**Chapter One: The Appearance**

The night was still and only disturbed by a slight warm breeze that ruffled the grass. In the distance, a house could be seen with several lights on, giving off a dull, warm glow. There was a slight taste of magic on the air signifying the wards that protected the house and its surrounding grounds.

A shudder passed through the wards. A powerful, external force was manifesting itself within the grounds setting off alarms within the house and two distant offices, one in the Ministry of Magic and the other in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Four figures appeared out of thin air and fell to the ground. They rolled in different directions and got to their feet, ready for an imminent attack.

The wards rapidly fell, setting the four on even higher edge, noticing the change in the magical flux surrounding them. Three groups of five people rapidly apparated, surrounding them. The newcomers attacked first with stunners, which were quickly repelled. They responded with curses of their own with speed that belied their warrior status. One of the newcomers hung back and apparated away when it was clear that they were overwhelmed to report to both of his bosses. But first to Dumbledore, this matter was clearly more suited to the Headmaster than the Minister. He could not believe it. The Founders had come to the future and they were obviously still friends.

* * *

The four broke up and began to check the now still bodies. The two women moved to the closest group of fallen wizards. One had curly brown hair and honey eyes. She wore blue battle robes with bronze lining and trim. Her leather boots were also bronze, but currently stained with mud. She bent over the nearest body to check for any permanent injuries. Finding none, she rose and proceeded to the next. The other woman had straight, red hair that hung to her waist. She was clothed similarly to her compatriot, but her robes were yellow with black trim and lining. A dagger was gracing her belt, making her appear more lethal than most would assume, given her kind brown eyes. She helped check this group of fallen witches and wizards for injuries and continued to move through them as quickly as possible, notifying her friend when she saw a wound so that it could be healed.

The two men had gone in separate directions. The man with red hair was tall, by far the tallest of the group. He wore deep crimson battle robes with gold lining and trim. On his belt, standing out boldly was a sword with rubies inlaid on the handle and gold filigree. Down the blade, carved in capital letters was the name: GODRIC GRYFFINDOR. He tucked his wand in its holster on his left arm and bent over the nearest wizard. He turned the man over and removed the cloak that was obscuring the uniform. In slight shock he turned to his friend, "They're Aurors".

The last of the four stood still and turned to the red head. His expression was neutral, but it was a practiced neutrality. He slowly made his way over to his friend. His battle robes were of a striking emerald green, which matched the exact shade of his eyes. The lining and trim was silver. On his hand he wore a ring of two serpents intertwined about an emerald. Around his left forearm was a leather wand holster. A little farther up his arm was a snake, coiled and ready to strike anyone that dared touch her master in violence. Her black scales were shiny in the moonlight, but coiled against the dark colors of the robe and partially hidden by her owner's long, raven black hair, she was barely noticeable. Hanging from this man's belt was also a sword, but instead of rubies, it was in emeralds and silver instead of gold filigree. Down its blade in elegant script was the name: SALAZAR SLYTHERIN.


	2. Return to Hogwarts

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong to Ms. Rowling.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Return to Hogwarts**

For the third time that night, the air was interrupted with the distinct _pop_ of apparition. The four heirs turned towards the sound, wands drawn. They were surprised at what they saw. Instead of one person, there were two, suggesting that one of these men apparated silently.

However, their shock was doubled when one of the men stepped forward calmly with his hands raised in a peaceful gesture, indicating that he did not wish them harm. This man was dressed in long, purple robes with small silver and gold stars embroidered on them. His hair and beard fell to his waist in long, snowy white tendrils. His twinkling blue eyes were partially concealed by his half-moon glasses.

The four glanced at each other, shocked to see this man alive. They had witnessed his downfall an six months previously. And now, here he was, striding towards them with his twinkling blue eyes going at full throttle. They knew this was impossible, more impossible than Aurors attacking them. Yet, here he was, smiling benignly at them.

The ebon-haired young man was about to speak when Dumbledore began, "I must say, I was not actually expecting to have the honor of meeting the Founders, but apparently I was mistaken."

The new arrivals looked at each other and silently agreed to play along until they determined exactly what was going on.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, and this gentleman behind me was one of the Aurors that were called here at the disturbance of the wards."

The wizard in green took a step forward to speak for the group. "It is a pleasure to meet you. However, I believe that some of these people need medical attention. Surely the pleasantries can wait until after they are tended?"

"Of course, of course Lord Slytherin. The healers should be here shortly. Then, why don't we adjourn to somewhere more comfortable, Hogwarts."

"That sounds wonderful Headmaster."

They did not have to wait long before several more apparition _pops_ could be heard signifying the arrival of the Healers. They made quick work reviving the fallen Aurors and transporting the more severely injured to St. Mungo's. The rest were able to Apparate back to the Ministry of Magic to give their reports of the fight and wait for a debriefing, or as much of one as they could expect from the information Dumbledore would let the Ministry know.

Dumbledore turned toward the four new arrivals and nodded, "Ready?"

"Very well, we shall meet you at the front gates of Hogwarts. I believe this conversation should take place in extreme privacy." With that, the four and the Headmaster apparated to Hogsmeade, leaving a very confused Auror standing on the once again vacant knoll.

* * *

The walk from Hogsmeade to the castle was silent, each person lost in their own thoughts trying to figure out just how this was possible. When they passed through the massive double doors, the ebon-haired wizard took the lead from Dumbledore.

A look of bemusement crossed Dumbledore's face as he followed another through the school that he had come to think of as his. As the wizard he took to be Salazar Slytherin came to the Headmaster's Office, he waved his hand in front of the gargoyle's face. At this, the gargoyle bowed and stepped aside to let the five travel up to the office. A momentary look of shock crossed Dumbledore's face before the twinkle started anew.

Dumbledore moved to sit behind his desk as the four sat in conjured chairs. Again taking the lead, the emerald-eyed wizard spoke first, "Headmaster, this is not what it appears to be. I assume that you believe that we are the Founders. That's not entirely true."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and leaned over forward slightly, "Then who are you?"


	3. Explanations

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

This chapter is not betaed, so please excuse some of my grammatical mistakes.

_Previously: _

_Dumbledore moved to sit behind his desk as the four sat in conjured chairs. Again taking the lead, the emerald-eyed wizard spoke first, "Headmaster, this is not what it appears to be. I assume that you believe that we are the Founders. That's not entirely true."_

_Dumbledore steepled his fingers and leaned over forward slightly, "Then who are you?"_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Explanations**

"Well, you see, that's a complicated question. I assume that you don't recognize us."

"Should I?"

"To put it mildly, yes. Perhaps I should start with our names and move on to what I suspect happened. The rest can wait a little while longer. You see, my name's Harry Potter." He paused for a moment for the reaction, some sort of twinkling or maybe a glance at the scar that graced his forehead. But that was far from the reaction he actually received.

Dumbledore's face went stony. It was well known that Harry Potter died on October 31, 1981. It was also well known that the Potter's had never truly gotten over the loss of their firstborn. They had a daughter, Violet, whom they doted on, but nothing would ever fill the hole they had in their hearts for their son. The problem was that Voldemort and his followers took great joy in finding new ways to torture the already downtrodden Potters. The strange appearance of someone going by that name and dressed as Slytherin himself seemed to be just another way that Voldemort would take advantage of the two prestigious Order members' vulnerability.

Harry stuttered at this reaction, but ploughed on, hoping that the later names would be met with a better reaction from Dumbledore. "The wizard to my left is Ron Weasley. The witch to his left is his fiancé, Hermione Granger. And the witch to my right is my girlfriend and Ron's younger sister, Ginevra Weasley."

At the mention of her real name, Ginny swatted Harry on his shoulder.

"Ow!" Harry protested. "Fine, fine. _Ginny_ Weasley."

Ginny smirked slightly at this.

Dumbledore's stony expression was gradually softening, but his eyes were still a steely blue, with no sign of a sparkle.

"From what I have been able to gather so far, I assume that we must have slipped into an alternate dimension. Your reaction to our names clearly shows that whoever we are here is not what the four of us are like. We were in the middle of a battle with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. We had gotten cornered so that we were fighting in close quarters. I am not sure who threw the curse at us because I was a little preoccupied with getting rid of Tom, but suddenly we were surrounded by a purple light and felt as if we were doing side-along apparition. We appeared on that hill and were promptly attacked by those aurors. There is no way that aurors would attack us in our world. And there is no way that you would mistake us for the Founders."

Dumbledore was slowly relaxing. However, he was far from convinced that this elaborate tale was the truth.

"Perhaps a little more explanation as to our appearances would be in order." Harry was starting to get concerned. This Dumbledore seemed extremely skeptical, which was nothing like the Dumbledore he was used to. He was accustomed to Dumbledore trusting his word completely and he had only rarely seen the Headmaster without his customary twinkle. However, he had yet to see the sparkle of humor reappear in the old man's eyes.

"Yes, I think that would be best."

Harry took a momentary pause to regain his cool exterior to begin his tale. "The four of us are best friends. Ron, Hermione and I have been friends since Halloween of first year and Ginny joined our group later on. The four of us were all sorted into Gryffindor, however three of us had to argue with the hat to be placed there over a better-suited house.

"Hermione should have been placed in Ravenclaw. But, she wanted to escape her old reputation of the bookworm. Ginny should have been in Hufflepuff, but her entire family was in Gryffindor. She was afraid that she would disappoint her family if she didn't follow in their footsteps. And I … well … I'm a complicated story." Harry paused here to sort out his thoughts on his house and why he so desperately begged the hat to go against his nature.

"My parents were killed when I was one by an evil wizard. I spent my life with my aunt and uncle in the muggle world, never knowing the truth about what happened to my parents. Hagrid picked me up and introduced me to the wizarding world. I found out from him that the wizard who killed my parents was a Slytherin. I then met Draco Malfoy, who reminded me so much of my spoiled cousin Dudley, that when he said that he wanted to be in Slytherin, my opinion of the house dropped that much more. The first friend that I made was Ron, on the Hogwarts Express. He was bound and determined to get into Gryffindor, which was my parents' house. Needless to say, when the sorting hat said that I would be great in Slytherin, I refused and begged the hat to place me anywhere but Slytherin.

"Perhaps I should ask if you know of a person by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was a student here going on sixty years now."

"Yes, we are well acquainted with Tom, who is better known as Lord Voldemort or the Dark Lord to his followers." Dumbledore was becoming increasingly intrigued by this young man. He knew of Tom's real name and discussed these matters without fear. Not even his most devout followers could do that. And none of the four shuddered at the mention of the name Voldemort.

"Good, then I can skip that explanation. We will fast forward to October 31, 1981. Voldemort attacked our home that night, killing my mother and father. But, when he tried to cast the Killing Curse on me, my mother's sacrifice for me caused the curse to rebound on him and thus leaving Voldemort as nothing more than a shadow. I was left with this scar, which had later ramifications that we discovered when he tried to regain his body."

Harry paused again to gauge Dumbledore's reaction. He appeared stunned, which quickly turned into a look of contemplation. He started murmuring to himself, "Yes, an ancient magic that Tom would have absolutely no respect for and underestimate. Curious …"

Harry barely contained an eye roll. At least some things appeared the same. Both Dumbledores were easily distracted by references to arcane branches of magic. Of course, Hermione, himself and Voldemort were interested in them, but usually not to the point of distraction.

"Anyhow, after Voldemort was resurrected at the end of my fourth year, things started to become more desperate. The sorting hat made a reference to the necessity of the Hogwarts houses being united, but at the time, that seemed to be impossible. The prophecy was revealed to me at the end of my fifth year, which was beyond daunting, especially since I had no idea what power the stupid thing was referring to.

"I am sure that you are aware that there is a certain amount of sentience in Hogwarts …"

"Yes, she is truly an amazing creation."

"Yes, well, she is also amazingly stubborn and intelligent. If she wants something, she makes it happen. Granted, the situation has to be just so for her to be able to act, but she can almost always exert some sort of control over the goings on in the castle." Harry said this in a tone suggesting a slight annoyance, but mostly fondness for the place that he had come to think of as his home.

"Hogwarts saw the four of us and saw the Founders in us. She _chose_ us to be the heirs."

"Because that was _so_ much fun," Ron said sarcastically. "Biggest bleeding migraine I've ever had."

Harry glanced at Ron then rolled his eyes. "Hogwarts, one evening, chose to show us our past lives. As four friends and founding this school. We have the knowledge of the Founder's lives and our own. It's really amazing how many secrets there are in this castle.

"Anyhow, the four houses were united under us and we were able to defend the castle without worrying about mutiny or subterfuge. With the castle united, Voldemort's forces had no chance to take her and I was finally able to defeat him.

"There are, of course, quite a few details to this story that I have left out. But, they are far from crucial, merely interesting and can be gone over later, if at all." With that, Harry leaned back in his chair and weighed Dumbledore's reaction. Ginny's hand made its way over to his and entwined her fingers in his.

Dumbledore looked between the four heirs as his twinkle steadily returned. "That is a very interesting story and if I did not know Hogwarts like I do, I would never have believed you."

The four visibly relaxed back into their cool and confidant postures and regained the airs of each of the people they represented.

"I suppose that it is now my turn to explain the differences between our worlds so that you are not too shocked with the circumstances that you will find yourselves in.

"I believe our stories diverge on the evening that you received your scar. Your parents were delayed at an Order meeting and Voldemort attacked you house, killing yourself and the babysitter. Voldemort never fell and has taken great delight in torturing your parents with your death. He tends to stage major attacks on Halloween and your birthday. They have a daughter, but they tend to be overprotective of her, fearing that what happened to you will happen again."

The only outward sign that Harry gave at this news was his tighter grasp on Ginny's hand. His knuckles turned white as did hers in returning support and emotion. In normal company, this reaction would have gone unnoticed, but this was exactly the type of reaction Dumbledore was looking for to confirm the validity of their story.

Dumbledore selected a lemon drop from his bowl and popped it in his mouth. "Ah, I almost forgot, perhaps you might like to try one of my lemon drops? They are absolutely marvelous muggle sweets."

The four heirs were silent for a moment, and then began to laugh. In between giggles, Ginny said, "Some things never change." With that, each of them took a lemon drop, pleased that they were back on familiar ground with the Headmaster.

"Both Mr. and Miss Weasley are in Gryffindor House and Miss Granger is in Ravenclaw. I must admit that they do not have the same characters that you three do. They are also nowhere near as powerful as you seem to be. However, although you look similar to your counterparts, there is something clearly different about you. It may have to do with your stature and the way you carry yourselves, but if we play this properly, I doubt that you will have to be under a glamour of any sort.

"I believe that it would be best if you are introduced as the four Founders that accidentally slid through time. It would satisfy the Ministry and the general wizarding world. It will also give you time to adjust to this world and any slip-ups that you make can be blamed on this. After a while I will reveal your identities to the Order and your parents, but that will remain privileged information.

"I do believe that that is enough for one night. I will introduce you tomorrow to the student body and the teachers as the Founders and the rest will be up to you as to how you wish to handle this. Now, as for your accommodations …"

"Actually, Headmaster, that's not going to be a problem," Hermione interrupted. "You see each of the Founders created their own secret chambers where we will stay while we are here. They are quite comfortable."

With that statement Harry groaned. "Speak for yourselves. I know for a fact that my chamber is going to be a mess. Not to mention that there is still a very much alive basilisk living down there that I need to speak to."

Ginny looked over at Harry, "The basilisk can wait, it's still locked away, right?"

"Yes, I suppose that can wait until tomorrow. But there are bones of small animals littering the entirety of the chamber. Merlin knows what Tom was doing down there with all of those things and then just leaving them there to rot."

"Stay in my room then. We'll worry about yours later, when we aren't fighting off magical and physical exhaustion."

Ron went to protest, but Hermione's hand clamping down on his arm stopped him.

Harry stood up, "Well, I suppose this is good night Professor. We'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast, when you make the announcement."

"Yes, yes. Good evening," Dumbledore said as he cheerfully popped another lemon drop into his mouth. The four heirs left the office and moved to their respective rooms. Ron and Hermione went up to their towers and Harry followed Ginny down towards the kitchens and her rooms.

* * *

**A/N: I'm hoping to keep up with longer chapters. I personally love to read long chapters, but I can't seem to buckle down and write them. Oh well, I'll try harder for the next chapter.**


	4. Introducing the Founders

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Betaed by WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously:_

_Ron and Hermione went up to their towers and Harry followed Ginny down towards the kitchens and her rooms._

* * *

**Chapter 4: Introducing the Founders**

Harry rolled over and tucked his head further underneath the covers, only to be slapped by an irritated red head. "Get your lazy arse out of bed!"

Harry yelped and glared at Ginny with one eye. "What is your problem? I'm tired and I was finally getting some sleep."

"Well fine. But if you want to be introduced to the school and the rest of the Wizarding World in your boxers, that's fine by me. I don't have a problem with it … I just thought that _you_ might."

"We are not getting introduced until 8:30. Come on Gin, let me alone."

"Okay, okay. I mean you already only have twenty minutes to get into your full dress battle robes and attach your various weapons. I'm sure it won't be a problem to get up to the Great Hall by the time it takes you to get dressed and presentable."

"Twenty minutes!" Harry hopped out of bed and grabbed the tunic that he had set out for himself the previous night. "Thanks for the warning," he snapped sarcastically, tugging at his crumpled tunic.

"Aw, what would Salazar Slytherin be without his attitude," Ginny said mischievously. "After all, if I got you up earlier, you would just say that it doesn't take you that long to get ready and be even more sulky."

Harry snorted at her. He pulled on his trousers with one hand as he grabbed for his belt with the other. It made for a ridiculous picture. Here was one of the most powerful wizards known to man, hopping around on one foot with his pants half-way down his thighs, tilted at a precarious angle in an attempt to reach the belt that hung off the back of the chair.

Sudden laughter startled Harry. He tripped over the excess fabric that he was standing on and crashed into the chair, sending the rest of his clothes to the floor. It was simply too much. Ginny wrapped her arms around her stomach in an effort to breathe, diaphragm tormented as laughter violently shook her slight frame.

With a glare that promised suitable punishment at a more appropriate time, Harry scrambled to his feet as he continued to throw his clothes on. Just as he was clasping his emerald green cloak, Ginny grabbed her wand and got rid of the wrinkles that he had caused from knocking his clothes to the ground and falling to the floor.

"Thanks."

"You're quite welcome."

Harry turned to face the mirror and ran a brush through his shoulder-length hair and pinned it back into a low ponytail. The clasp was made of silver and depicted a serpent coiled around an emerald, biting its own tail. He then picked up his ring and placed it on his right hand. The Sword of Slytherin now hung from his belt, proudly displaying the name of its original owner and the emeralds glinting in the handle.

"Come on! We only have five minutes to get to the Great Hall. Imagine, Ron actually beating us there. It'll be a disgrace," Ginny said mockingly.

"Alright, alright then." Harry quickly scanned the room and found his snake coiled up on Ginny's pillow. He went over to her and nudged her awake.

_What do you want?_ she hissed at him.

_It's time for our Grand Entrance; I know you can't wait to stun everyone into silence._

_Well, if I must._

Harry laughed. _No need to sound so put upon, Sylvia. Come on, we have to hurry before Ginny decides she needs a new snakeskin-human handbag.._

Sylvia uncurled herself from her spot and slithered up Harry's arm, coming to rest at his shoulder.

_Well, what are you waiting for; let's get this over with so that I can go sun bathing._

Harry tilted his head towards Ginny and offered his arm. "Shall we, milady?" he asked cheekily, smirking.

"Yes, we shall," she said, smiling impishly, eyes dancing.

Harry and Ginny left her suite and made their way to the nearest staircase. They placed their hands on the railing and the stairs separated from the floors that they were currently connected to.

Ginny casually stated, "To the main floor please, as close to the Great Hall as possible."

With that, the stairs started moving upwards, silently transporting the two heirs to their destination. It was damned convenient, Harry reflected, feeling the railing under his hands quiver as the staircase shuddered to a halt near the Grand Staircase in the Entrance Hall. After all, a walk that normally would have taken ten minutes had been shortened to a brief thirty seconds.

Harry and Ginny gracefully stepped off, her yellow robes swirled as she turned around to face the stairs. "Thank you," she said quietly, smiling softly. The staircase made a cheerful squeaking noise before gliding off to where it had come from. Ginny watched the staircase fondly for a moment, then turned back and took Harry's arm again as they walked up to the waiting Hermione and Ron.

"I told you they would beat us here," Ginny said with a pout.

Hermione looked over at the two newcomers, "I can't believe it. Ron actually arrived _before_ someone? This is truly a sad day for you, Harry."

"Hmph. Why do you think that it's my fault? I'll have you know that it's actually all Ginny's fault."

"Are you kidding me?" Ron choked out between laughs. "_My_ sister, get up any later than the crack of dawn?"

"If anything Harry, it was Ginny that was up and dressed and watching you sleep, until she got tired of waiting and woke you up herself," Hermione smirked.

Caught in his lie, Harry took on an insulted and irritated look. "Fine, just pick on me. Just so you know, I was asleep because it's the first night that I was finally able to have continuous rest without a vision or a nightmare. So, yes, I was enjoying it and didn't want to get up. Excuse me." Harry sniffed and turned away from Hermione and Ron.

The grins and laughter quickly faded from their faces. "Oh my goodness, I am _so_ sorry Harry. I mean, it's just great that you were finally able to get some rest. If anyone deserves it, it's you," Hermione spluttered, trying to redeem herself and make up for her callousness.

Harry turned back to face her, "Well, you should be sorry." He sniffed and then his look quickly changed to a smirk and a tell-tale mischievous glint appeared in his emerald eyes before he started chuckling himself.

"Oh you!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't know what to do with you sometimes. You're so infuriating."

The four burst out into renewed giggles. The noise level in the Great Hall suddenly dropped and the four straightened up. Harry looked at Ron, "Ready there, Godric?"

"I'm always ready, Sal." The heirs listened to Dumbledore speak and awaited their introduction.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stood at the Head Table as silence descended upon the students. This was highly unusual. All of the students turned to face the Headmaster. Most of the announcements were made at dinner when it was guaranteed that everyone was in attendance. 

"A most unusual occurrence happened last night, which I was called away briefly to deal with. It seems that Hogwarts will be playing host for an undetermined amount of time to several people who have had an accident. They were in the middle of a battle and were somehow sent to the future by a stray curse and several other unusual circumstances. I ask you to treat these people with the respect that they rightfully deserve, all of them. And now, I have the pleasure of introducing you to the Founders of Hogwarts." With that, Dumbledore raised his hands and the double doors of the Great Hall opened.

The students and professors turned back to face the doors and stared as a man with red hair strode in, his battle robes a deep crimson. His cloak was clasped at the neck with a snarling golden griffin broach. The Sword of Gryffindor hung from his belt. On his arm was a charming woman wearing sky blue flowing robes. She would have looked innocuous if not for the quiver that she wore on her back and the bow that was slung across her shoulder. Her curly brown hair hung past her shoulders and was swept up in a bronze tie, keeping it from getting entangled in the bow.

Although the hall was stunned at this couple, the next couple that walked through the double doors completely shocked the student body and all of the staff. A gorgeous woman walked in. Her auburn hair hung to her waist, and the strands about her face were braided and tied back in a black ribbon. Yellow robes clung to her slight curves, which were accentuated with a black leather belt that hung at her midriff. On the belt was a long dagger, whose handle was made from smooth black obsidian curled around gold filigree. But this was not the person that stunned the hall to silence. It was the man on her arm.

He was the ideal image of pureblood wizard. His aura of power and confidence oozed out of him and made everyone in his presence seem inferior. He walked with an easy grace that demonstrated his knowledge of his power and his security in this fact. His face was set in a mask of indifference as he casually strode towards the Head Table. It was clear that this was one wizard that should not be crossed. The snake that glided up his arm to rest on his shoulders added to his dark and powerful persona.

Harry stepped forward and addressed the teachers. "It is truly reassuring to know that our school has garnered such respect in the Wizarding World. I hope that our presence does not disrupt your daily lives too much. May I introduce you to my girlfriend, Lady Helga Hufflepuff …" Ginny nodded slightly to the staff, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, knowing that she was not the image that anyone had of the Founder of Hufflepuff House.

"… Lady Rowena Ravenclaw …" Hermione tilted her head towards the staff with a clear look of curiosity playing across her face. Filius Flitwick squeaked in excitement. He was nearly bouncing in his chair, barely stopping himself from pelting his House's founder with as many questions as possible.

"… my best friend and Lady Ravenclaw's fiancée, Lord Godric Gryffindor …" Ron took a half-step forward and nodded at the staff with a broad grin across his face. There was a slight murmur through the crowd at the mention of the term best friend. All eyes were now focused on Harry

"… I am Lord Salazar Slytherin and this is my familiar, Sylvia," Harry said indicated his shoulder. The hall was in complete awe of this man. It was clear that he was a young Salazar Slytherin, before the infamous split between the Founders. No one was sure how to approach this figure that they were so accustomed to vilifying.

Harry glanced at the Gryffindor corner of the Head Table. It was clear that Minerva McGonagall was of mixed opinions about his presence. She seemed pleased about Ron and Hermione's appearance but Harry and Ginny clearly confused her, along with the rest of the staff. Carefully tilting his head, he could see the Muggle Studies professor, his mother. His breath hitched. Although he appeared focused on Dumbledore's general admonitions to the student body, it was his parents that held his true attention. His father was sitting next to Lily, a stunned expression mingled with loathing crossing his face. It was obvious to anyone that he trying to control his natural reaction of cursing any predominant Slytherin in the vicinity within an inch of his or her life.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for your acceptance of our situation. But it appears as if we've completely disrupted breakfast - and it wouldn't do for the students to head off to lessons without food. Perhaps we could join you?" Harry said, lifting his right eyebrow.

"Of course, Lord Slytherin," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. He knew exactly the type of reaction he could expect from his staff, and the dumbfounded looks were highly entertaining, especially to an old man who got his enjoyment from knowing more about what was going on than anyone else.

The four heirs walked around to the other side of the table and conjured their own chairs. Harry and Ginny sat in between Severus Snape and Pomona Sprout. Snape was smirking and his obsidian eyes were glinting with an indiscernible expression. His eyes occasionally flicked over to where James Potter was sitting and would take on a vindictive look that he would quickly remask as he looked back at his breakfast.

The Herbology Professor clearly wanted to ask Ginny several questions, but was uncertain how to begin because they all focused on her relationship to Slytherin. Instead, she settled on asking her their age and how long they have been running Hogwarts.

Ginny was more than pleased to focus on such an easy topic. It was one that everyone would be interested in hearing about, yet one that veered away from relationship questions, which would get confusing and complicated _very_ quickly.

"We just opened Hogwarts last year. We were very pleased to have twenty students enter. They are spread out in ages but not experience, so we are treating them all as first years. However, we hope to eventually standardize the years once we have more students. That, though is in the far distant future. There just isn't enough of a wizarding population in Scotland right now to worry about that. Maybe if we were able to draw from all of the isles we would have enough, but we are definitely satisfied that we were able to draw the interest of these students.

"As to our ages, well, I'm sixteen. Sal and Godric are both seventeen. And Rowena just turned eighteen last month."

Ginny's response caught the attention of the staff. Professor Minerva McGonagall looked at Ron and Hermione, stunned. "But, you're not any older than our seventh years. How could you build a school and expect to be able to teach when you were no more experienced than your students?"

It was the perfect question for Hermione and her obsessive ness over learning, allowing her to get into as much mundane detail as she desired. "We started training after we first showed magic. Well, the other three did. However, I'm a muggleborn. I was lucky to be born in Paris, which is much more tolerant of magic than the Isles are. As old lady, a neighbor of ours, saw me perform some accidental magic, she told me what I was. My family and I moved to the Highlands so that I could train under a Transfiguration and Charms Master. I earned my mastery in these subjects by the age of fifteen."

"You earned your mastery in Charms _and_ Transfiguration by _fifteen_?" Flitwick twittered.

"Yes. But, I'm not the only one with a mastery."

"Who else?" asked McGonagall.

Ron spoke up, "I have a mastery in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. But, I only gained my animagus form last year, unlike Ro, who achieved hers when she earned her mastery."

McGonagall was glowing with pride. Even though he did not manage his masteries first, being beat by Ravenclaw in the academic field was not something to be concerned with. James and Lily Potter were also beaming.

Severus looked as if Dumbledore had crammed a bowl full of lemon drops down his throat. Harry merely smirked and stroked Sylvia, who had made her way onto the table top and was drinking from a saucer that Harry had set aside for her.

Ron then signaled towards Ginny. "Of course, my younger sister just completed two of her masteries as well." Snape raised an eyebrow at this, seeming inconsistency, hoping to get an explanation on how an unwed Hufflepuff could be the younger sister of a Gryffindor.

Sprout puffed out her chest. Finally, Hufflepuff House may start to regain some of the respect and standing they had lost to ignominy over the centuries. "What are your masteries, dear?"

"Arithmancy and Runes. I really want to be a Healer though, so I am still working on my Herbology mastery."

Sprout glowed with pride. It was rare that Gryffindor was outshone, but here it was and by Hufflepuff House at that.

"Well, we would not be able to create a school or teach at it if we were not knowledgeable in various fields. We are going to hire a librarian and they will teach History. We are still debating Divination. There are a couple of known Seers, but they are recluses, so the chance of luring one of them here is very slim."

Albus Dumbledore entered the conversation. "So, you have Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, Arithmancy, Runes, Herbology and History. What have you mastered Lord Slytherin?"

"Potions, Dark Arts and their Defense, which I also teach."

James Potter spoke up. "You're teaching Dark Arts to children!"

Snape glared at the rude head of the Potter line.

"Of course. I mastered them and their defense when I was fifteen. I only gained my Potions mastery this past June."

Flitwick then piped up. "Severus, I though that you were the youngest Potions Master. But, it appears as if Lord Slytherin beat you by a full year."

"I am the youngest Potions Master in _recorded_ history. I doubt that there is a record of their masteries in the Ministry, since the Ministry was not established until 1312," Snape said with slight disdain in his voice.

Lily Potter, however, refused to let the subject of the Dark Arts drop. "How could you have mastered the Dark Arts by the age of fifteen? And why would any child need to know them?"

"The Dark Arts all require some sort of catalyst, a sacrifice. The most common is an emotional sacrifice. Someone with the emotional range of a thimble, as Ro so delicately put it, cannot perform the strongest of these spells.

As for why they should be taught, that is easy. It is practical for saving your life. Without the Patronus Charm, you are defenseless against dementors and lethifolds. If you want to wander about soulless, that is fine with me, but I refuse to send children out of school without knowing how to protect themselves to the best of their abilities."

Severus smirked. Finally, there was someone that could shut Potter up. The best part about the whole thing though, was that it was a Slytherin; and not just any Slytherin but Salazar himself. He could not wait to repay Potter for all of the years of torment he had been put through. But, one thing was bothering him still. He did not understand how it was possible for Hufflepuff to be Gryffindor's younger sister. They looked similar and were obviously related, but it was unclear as to why she did not have the same last name. Divorce was very nearly forbidden a millennia ago, so it was highly unlikely that she was a half-sister or step-sister, especially since wizards lived longer and healthier lives than muggles. Severus put his curiosity aside. No one else had truly paid attention to that part of Gryffindor's statement, so he felt that the question could wait until a more appropriate time to discuss family and heritage with the Founders.

Breakfast was coming to a close and students from the various tables slowly trickled out of the Great Hall. Three students, however, were writing furiously to their parents. The four heirs followed the Heads of their Houses to observe the classes they had for that day. No one noticed the three owls as they headed towards the Ministry of Magic.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I'm really proud of this chapter. I actually managed 10 pages, which is pretty long. It was going to be much longer, but I decided to break it up into two or three parts. I think I'll make it three, so it'll be a really long day. Eventually time will start moving quicker, but I figure everyone in this Alternate Dimension will be asking tons of questions, which is a great excuse for me to explain the background of the two worlds and the characters.**

**A/N 2: I would also like to thank the people who took the time to review, it made me feel really great to hear from you.**


	5. Basilisk Housekeeping

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously:_

_Three students, however, were writing furiously to their parents. The four heirs followed the Heads of their Houses to observe the classes they had for that day. No one noticed the three owls as they headed towards the Ministry of Magic._

* * *

**Chapter 5: Basilisk Housekeeping**

Harry followed Severus into the dungeon Potions classroom. "Thankfully, I only have one class today, first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. It is by far my easiest day of the week."

Harry nodded and entered the classroom, curious to see what this class was like in comparison to the Slytherin/Gryffindor classes. Of course, he also wondered if it was true that Severus always sent first year Hufflepuffs to the infirmaries suffering from nervous fits and panic attacks.

The door to the dungeon banged open, startling the first years who were nervously fidgeting with their backpacks. Severus stormed in, robes billowing dramatically behind him. Harry strolled in casually and went to the front of the classroom. If the first years had been nervous at the sight of their teacher, it was nothing in comparison to the sheer terror that they felt when in the same dungeon as the infamous Salazar Slytherin.

Harry sighed inaudibly. He knew that this class was going to be full of explosions. He would have left and found something else to do in the castle, except for the problem that the only one who would probably want to talk to him was Dumbledore.

A nervous Hufflepuff squeaked as she dropped twice the amount of armadillo bile into her cauldron than required. Harry barely had time to react. He saw the potion begin to turn an acidic orange color and steam started to spew from over the rim of the cauldron. He hastily erected a shield about the potion before the highly acidic brew could injure anyone. He stalked over to the trembling first year with a cool look on his face.

"I … I am so … so sorry Mr. Slytherin sir," the little girl whispered.

Harry raised one elegant eyebrow. "You know, potions are very temperamental and dangerous things to be working with. You must always be aware of what you are doing and avoid outside distractions. If you do not use sure and steady motions, you could have a devastating accident, like the one you just had. Armadillo bile is safe for first years to handle, however, when it is re-hydrated, which is what happens when you place it in a liquid, it becomes extremely acidic. It is bile after all. So, if place too much in the cauldron, the reaction will be very violent. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well." Harry silently vanished the ruined potion and moved back to the front of the room.

Snape finished his rounds on the Ravenclaw side and made his way towards Harry. He looked at Harry with a quizzical expression. "I am very thankful that you dealt with that. I would have killed the little chit. Their meek attitude drives me up the wall."

"You forget, my girlfriend is Lady Hufflepuff. They are an interesting breed of people. I remember when Helga was that girl's age. Every time I came around, she would stick her elbow in the butter dish. However, Hufflepuffs tend to grow up into fierce protectors and are viciously loyal, despite their typically mild beginnings. Now, Helga is an entirely different story. She's got an amazing temper on her and very talented with that dagger of hers. I have a strong attachment to my skin and would like to keep it where it is."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I have never heard of a Slytherin being scared of a Hufflepuff before."

"I am not scared. I merely have a healthy appreciation of her talents. After all, it would be foolish to underestimate her because her house is based on loyalty and hard work instead of cunning and ambitiousness."

Severus could hear the unspoken chastisement, but said nothing in his defense. It would be difficult and unwise to inform the Founder of the reasons behind his ambivalence towards the other houses. When he was sent back to his time, it was possible that it could change history if he knew that he would one day be shunned from the school and his House isolated and scorned by the remaining three Houses.

There were several more minor explosions throughout the class period, but they were quickly averted by the watchful eyes of the two Heads of Slytherin.

* * *

"I know something that you might find interesting. I'm going there this afternoon to clean it up and check on something. I don't know how long I'll be, it may take more than one day to clean out." 

"Where?" Snape said suspiciously.

"My Chamber, of course." Harry nearly burst out laughing at the look on Severus's face. It was an odd cross of excitement, surprise and fear. The traditionally stoic expression that he always wore was completely eradicated as the man struggled to accept the concept of willingly entering the famed and feared Chamber of Secrets.

Cautiously, Severus answered, "You are right, it would be most interesting."

* * *

"The _girls'_ lavatory?" 

"_OPEN!"_ Harry hissed.

"It wasn't a lavatory when we built it. This was a statue of Krishna dancing on the cowed Naga King's head. Someone must have carved the sinks out of it and decided to use the pipe system that comes to the surface here to turn it into one." With that, Harry jumped into the now open tunnel.

Severus stood at the edge for a moment, debating whether or not leaping into a dark tunnel that leads to the forbidding Chamber of Secrets was too Gryffindorish an action for him to consider. Deciding that no one was around to take notice, letting his curiosity of the most well known Slytherin remnant to win out, he jumped down the pipe and slid to a rough and crunchy landing.

Severus stood up and looked around. He was standing on a pile of small animal bones. The large pipes leading from the entrance were dripping and had a coating of algae on them. Dusting himself off, his hand came away green, slimy and musty. Disgusted, he looked for Salazar.

From the pipe in front of him, he heard a distant, "Are you just going to stand there all day, or do you want to see the Main Chamber?"

Wiping his hand on a dry patch of his robes, Snape set off down the tunnel and arrived just in time to see Slytherin hissing to a large seal. It groaned open, revealing yet another passageway. Harry looked over his shoulder at Snape. He smirked at the Slytherin man who was struggling with his mask. The man could face Voldemort repeatedly, but thrust him into an unknown situation, and he went into mental lockdown.

Harry turned back around and went through the hole behind the seal, entering into the Main Chamber. Severus hesitated briefly before following him through the hole.

Snape swallowed a gasp. The chamber was massive. The vaulted ceiling amplified the sounds of their feet walking up the stone aisle. On either side of the aisle were serpent statues. All of them were in different poses and they looked to be all different species from the well known King Cobra to the Ashwinder. Directly in front of them was a massive sculpture of a man's face. Snape quirked an eyebrow at this, wondering who this ape-like man was, he clearly bore little to no resemblance to the Salazar Slytherin accompanying him.

As if reading his mind, Harry spoke up. "That is my grandfather, the first parselmouth in the Slytherin line."

"You look absolutely nothing like him."

"Actually, you would be surprised. True Slytherins all have the same color eyes. I may not resemble him too much, but I did inherit the black hair and emerald green eyes from him." Pausing for a moment to look around at the stark and dreary chamber, Harry asked, "So, what do you think?"

"It's …" Snape hesitated, not willing to insult the place that Slytherin so reverently built, but not wanting to outright lie either.

"A mess," Harry supplied. He smirked at Snape's quiet assent. "That's exactly why I'm here today, to clean this place up a bit. Well, one of the reasons."

"What's the other reason?"

"To talk to a friend," Harry stated a little too calmly for Severus's comfort. "I suggest that you close your eyes."

Severus nervously closed his eyes, silently berating himself for jumping into a situation more suited to a Gryffindor. He heard Salazar hissing and wished that he was a Parselmouth, if only to ease his innate human discomfort at that reptilian sound.

"_Speak to me."_

He could hear more hissing followed by the sound of a large body being dragged across the floor. There was a soft crooning and a low rumble coming from directly in front of him.

"You can open your eyes now Severus."

Snape opened his eyes and quickly took several steps backwards. Directly in front of him was the largest snake he had ever seen. The jaws were large enough to swallow an Abraxan whole. He could not believe it. This seventeen year old was stroking and crooning to a fifty foot basilisk. The serpent tilted its head into the strokes and let out a low rumble that could have best been described as purring.

"Severus, I would like to introduce you to Sesha. I found her in the Forbidden Forest. She was a hatchling and had been injured by a much larger creature. So, I brought her back to Hogsmeade and healed her. She makes the perfect guardian. This school will always be safe while she is here."

Severus was beyond stunned. Small rasping noises were coming from his throat.

"Severus? Severus, are you alright?" Harry was getting a twisted sense of pleasure from seeing his Potions professor so off-balance.

Severus quickly regained his wits and bowed to Sesha. "It is an honor to meet you, Sesha." He heard a broken hiss and chanced a glance at the basilisk and the Founder. Slytherin's eyes were glittering in mirth. The sound emitting from the giant snake could easily be mistaken for a laugh. In fact, Severus had the uncomfortable suspicion that it _was_ laughing, at him.

"Only you, Severus, could appear so regal and controlled in a sewer facing a snake that would consider you the meanest of snacks," Harry said with a light chuckle.

Severus sneered at the Snake Lord. "It would be unbefitting _any_ Slytherin to react in any other way than calm in an unknown situation or even a known life-threatening situation. You have a better chance of survival if you keep your head."

Harry got the distinct impression that if Snape had felt that he could have gotten away with it, he would have called him a dunderhead.

"Point taken." Harry turned his head slightly and addressed Sesha. _"My dear, you must be anxious to escape this chamber. Feel free to hunt in the forest. Remember to avoid the gameskeeper. We have no need for further suspicion."_

"_You insult me. I may be the largest of the snakes, but I am still quite capable of hunting without being noticed."_

"_Very well. Have a successful hunt."_

Sesha hissed her assent and slithered down a distant tunnel.

Harry watched her disappear down the tunnel to the immediate right of the statue of his grandfather.

"Let's get started then," Harry said, turning to face the first tunnel on the left of the statue. "Would you like to start with the training room while I work on my bedchamber?"

"I am afraid that I do not know what you would want to be accomplished in these rooms. Perhaps it would be best if I merely assisted you and you could inform me of how you would like everything arranged."

"Alright then."

Severus followed in silence down the dank tunnel. They passed an off shoot on their right and proceeded until they reached what appeared to be a dead end. Slytherin laid his hand over a bare expanse of wall and the stones opened radiating from that point revealing a heavy, wooden double door. As he grasped the handle of the door he stated, "Only a descendent of myself can reveal the door. But, in order to do so, they must be shown where the exact placement of the key stone is." With that, Harry opened the door to reveal a massive, but decrepit bedchamber.

"It looks as if no one has visited this room for centuries."

Severus decided to avoid the implied question altogether and go with a safer alternative, one that he was desperately interested in finding out the truth of. He hoped that this cleaning session would last all day, if just so that he could find out the answers to some of the more personal questions that he knew the Founder would not dare to answer in a non-Slytherin's presence.

The room was just as dreary as the rest of the Chamber. Water from the lake above had seeped through the mortar and slowly soaked into the furniture and hangings, causing them to rot. It was impossible to determine the original colors or materials of anything in the room.

"First things first. We need to take care of the water problem before rehanging or refurbishing anything."

"Didn't you think of this when you decided to build your living quarters under a large body of water?"

"Of course I did. But, like everything else, the wards must be kept up. In all reality, if I had not placed the wards, this entire system would have collapsed from water erosion centuries ago.

"I am going to refresh the wards over this room. While I am doing that, would you mind moving everything out of the room so that we can get rid of all of the moisture and mildew before cleaning or replacing the decorations?"

Severus nodded and proceeded to stack the furniture along the walls in the tunnel that led up to the room. He was careful to leave the door open so that he did not have to suffer the indignity of locking himself out.

Harry could feel the wards pulsing with renewed energy. He stood in the middle of the room with his wand pointed towards the ceiling. The wards extended to the interface between the sand at the bottom of the lake and the hard clay and stone. Although they ran all along the exterior of the Chamber, it would take too much power to recharge the entire complex in one go. So, he had decided to go room-by-room in priority order.

By cleaning out his bedroom first, he at least had somewhere to sleep that would not get him into trouble with Ron. The only reason he did not receive any argument the night before was simply because everyone was too physically and magically exhausted to do anything, including argue.

The wards throbbed once more before settling into a happy background thrum. Harry lowered his wand and wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his brow. Severus was standing in the doorway of the now bare room. The fluctuation of the wards had been palpable and strangely alluring. Harry glanced towards the door and saw Snape observing him.

"Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help me dry out this room?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Cleaning is for house elves," Snape sneered back.

"So is moving furniture," Harry smirked. "The incantation is _siccus terra_, do you think you can handle that or do you need a house elf to do it for you?"

"I'm sure that I can manage," Snape said sourly.

"Good. Why don't you start with the far wall and work your way to the right. Hold the spell until you meet the resistance of the wards or until you feel no resistance at all. That means that you have reached a tunnel or room on the other side of the wall." Harry directed his attention back to the ceiling, which was soaked the worst.

Severus managed to get two of the walls done by the time Harry had dried out the ceiling. Refocusing, Harry directed his attention to the floor. Panting slightly, he felt the water give way and leave the stones dry. He looked back up and saw Severus had completed the remaining walls and was, again, watching him intently.

The room still smelled musty, but that could be easily taken care of with a brief ventilation charm. "Let's go see what is salvageable," Harry said as he made his way to the pile of furniture awaiting inspection in the tunnel.

They started with the wooden furniture. Several pieces, such as the chest of drawers and the wardrobe were completely rotted away. There was no way to salvage them, so they were incinerated. Harry was merely thankful that the four-poster bed frame was still sturdy.

Harry removed the sodden and rotten mattress from the frame and inspected the wooden supports. Several brief _seccus terra_ incantations later, the frame was ready to be replaced. Severus incinerated the revolting mattress as Harry levitated the four-poster back into the room, the headboard resting against the far wall. The hangings were similarly destroyed, leaving only two small stands and a mirror whose glass had not warped over time, thanks to the charms placed on it, remaining. It was clear that he would have to buy new furnishings, hangings and a mattress before he could use the bedroom again.

As Severus dried out the smaller stand, he glanced up at Harry and asked, "Why is there a basilisk in the school?"

"Protection of course," Harry answered glibly.

This caused Snape to pause. "Protection from what?"

"Muggles. Mostly the families of muggleborn students."

"Why would the students need to be protected from muggles?" Severus's face clearly indicated that the thought alone was ludicrous.

A dark look came across Harry's face. "Muggles can cause a lot of damage, especially when they feel that their child is not normal. Many muggleborn students are subjected to abuse from their parents. They would be more than willing to get rid of this school to keep the 'Devil' from spreading witchcraft throughout the Isles."

"Are they really that much of a threat?"

"Muggles should never be underestimated. They are very resourceful and have no qualms against using our complacency against us. They know that our children are rare and are more than willing to 'beat the magic out of them' in an effort to make the children fear their own innate talent."

"Isn't Lady Ravenclaw a muggleborn?"

"Yes, she is. However, she was lucky. Paris is a much more open-minded city. Her parents were more concerned about her learning to control her powers than smothering them. She is the exception to the rule."

Sensing that he was treading on sensitive ground, Severus resumed his work silently. They placed the stands on either side of the bed and hung the mirror against the wall opposite from the bed, finishing the room until Harry had time to buy the fabrics and furniture he would need to make it habitable again.

"I think we can fit in one more room before dinner."

"Oh, and what room would that be?"

"My training room." With that, Harry set off back down the tunnel with Snape following on his heels. They turned down the hallway on their right that they had passed on the way to Slytherin's bedchamber. A simple mahogany door stood in front of them. The layers of protection wards surrounding it were nearly visible, giving that one section of wall a slight shimmer.

Severus raised one elegant eyebrow in silent question as to the differences in the wards between the bedroom and the training room.

"This is where I exercise as well as practice nearly _all_ of the spells in my repertoire. The wards must be strong enough to sustain some of the darkest and most powerful spells hitting them."

They entered the room to find it nearly barren. A circular stone dueling stage stood proudly in the center. Along the back wall was a rack of various weapons, from daggers to staffs to two extra wands that were set slightly off to the side. The weapons only seemed in need of polishing and sharpening in some cases.

Looking at the walls again, they were noticeably dry. It seemed as if the extra wards helped to keep the encroaching dampness from this room.

Harry glanced about the room quickly before addressing Snape. "Why don't you start getting rid of the mold and mildew while I refresh the wards."

"They seem strong enough as they are. What do you have to do with them?"

"The other wards have been supporting the outer ward. However, it has weakened them. It will not nearly be as draining to recharge these. I just need to make sure that they can stand on their own. I will join you in destroying these spores immediately after I take care of this warding."

Severus merely sniffed and restrained himself from sneering a the Lord Slytherin. He did not like taking orders. Turning to face the closest mold encrusted wall, he fired a severe heating curse that caused his fingers to warm from the reflected heat. Moving rapidly, his irritation slowly ebbed away. Glancing over his shoulder, his irritation at being bossed around by a seventeen year old fled and was replaced with respect and awe.

Harry stood on the center of the dueling stage, slowly turning, focusing solely on the task at hand. The wards formed a hemisphere over the top of the stage, glittering in tints of white, gold and purple. The spells blended and weaved together, strengthening as more energy flowed into them.

Abruptly, Harry stopped and hopped off of the stage. The wards became opaque, but did not completely vanish from sight. The outer edge of the hemisphere could still be seen as a faint shimmer. Snape quickly returned to his task, contemplating the power that the man across the room from him must have to be able to cast wards that were visible to the naked eye.

The two continued their work in relative silence. The only thing breaking the calm was the occasional incantation of a heating charm or a slightly stronger curse.

Severus paused in his dispelling of the centuries old mold colonies. "Gryffindor mentioned this morning that the Lady Hufflepuff was his younger sister. How is it that they have different last names?"

Harry blasted the mildew-laden stone with a strong heating curse, killing the spores and preventing more spread of the musty growth. "That is because the Hufflepuff line is matrilineal, whereas the Gryffindor line is patrilineal. If Helga has a female child in the future, her last name will be Hufflepuff, not her father's surname. So, Helga's brothers' surnames are Gryffindor, while hers is Hufflepuff."

Severus took on a thoughtful look. "I don't know of any matrilineal lines today."

Harry shook his head and examined the next stone. "I am not surprised; it was already rare in our time. I suppose one-thousand years would effectively end or change a lot of things. We will have a lot to adapt to in this day and age."

Harry decided to play up the lost-in-time act to see if he could discern any subtle differences between the two dimensions. "I noticed that the older students are about our age. Is there a reason for the age range I saw, or is it something that has just evolved over time?"

"The legal adult age is seventeen. It is illegal to apparate, become an apprentice, or perform unmonitored magic before that age. With the current political climate, the Ministry is attempting to increase the age of majority and jointly with the Board of Governors, increase the length of the standard Hogwarts education."

Harry stopped, pretending to contemplate this answer. In reality, he was thinking about how much Voldemort had affected this world. However, he could use this to keep them from being used as the leaders they were automatically seen as, if they played the situation right. "That puts us at a unique disadvantage."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked as he finished expelling the last bit of mold from his section.

"We have no knowledge of the world as it is now. At home, we are considered adults and are highly respected. Here, however, we are no older than your seventh years. Helga is not even considered a legal adult. I am concerned that the people here would want us to take on some leadership role, when we are in no position to do so. It would be best if we just focused on going home, not getting caught up in things that we do not understand."

"I can see that. But you are the Founders, everyone naturally respects you. How can you expect not to have a leadership role?"

"It will help if we only take breakfast with the staff and have lunch and dinner at our respective tables. No one would be foolish enough to be disrespectful to us, but at the same time, it would emphasize the point that we are not here in a decision making capacity."

"It could work, but then some of the professors may treat you as students if you do that."

"Then I suppose I will merely have to demonstrate exactly how I earned my masteries," Harry said with a wicked smirk.

Severus answered it with one of his own. "I can think of several people who will be particularly difficult to deal with; specifically, three Gryffindors who are known for taking joy from tormenting Slytherins."

Harry knew exactly where this was going, the Marauders. He knew that Snape did not deserve most of the things they did to him in school. He could only imagine what had happened with the group mostly in tact, part of the Order and their leader, Prongs, teaching at the same school.

Harry was silent, thinking over the implications of aiding the Head of Slytherin House against his father and godfathers. He needed to make a show of Slytherin solidarity. However, it would make his acceptance by them later on harder than it already would be. If he backed out now, though, it would bring Slytherin House down and that would be disastrous for Hogwarts in the middle of a war. Harry consoled himself with the thought that at least he would be up against worthy opponents. Besides, Severus was in desperate need of assistance against the popular and talented Marauders. Harry let a smirk grace his features.

"Three troublesome Gryffindors? Well, I do believe they should be taken to task when they get out of hand."

Severus's eyes glinted in malicious glee. His mouth formed a twisted smile as he imagined the torture the infamous Marauders would suffer in repayment for all of their past crimes against him.

Severus and Harry cast one last glance at the now clean training room.

"We should head up to dinner before they send a search party to find us," Severus said.

Harry gave a dark chuckle. "Yes, I suppose that would be best."

The two walked in silence back to the entrance slide that led up to the girls' lavatory. Snape stood on the bones, crunching slightly as he shifted his weight. "How are we supposed to get back up?"

Harry walked over to the tunnel exit. He set his hand on the wall and depressed the stone his fingers rested on. There was a low grinding noise and Severus felt the earth shifting. Slowly, he stepped around Harry and saw that steps had risen out of the previously smooth stone slide.

Harry tilted his head towards Severus, "What? You didn't think we would _fly_ out, did you?"

Severus glanced at the Lord Slytherin from the corner of his eye. He fully expected to see a smirk on his face, but instead, saw a stoically neutral expression gracing his features. He quickly averted his gaze so that the young Lord did not have any reason to suspect his observations. As soon as Severus looked away, Harry's lips started to tremble at the edges, in an effort to prevent his laughter at the Potion Master's antics.

Harry started climbing up the gloomy staircase. He depressed one more stone and the passageway opened above them. They quickly exited the fabled Chamber of Secrets, the sink slowly closing behind them.

"Severus," Harry started. "I would like to thank you for you help today. Perhaps you would allow me to key you into the wards for the Chamber."

"Key me in? I was under the impression that only you or your descendents could enter."

"Yes and no. Only a Parselmouth can enter without external assistance. You will not be able to enter my bedroom or Sesha's Chambers. However, you will be able to use the training room or stay in one of the guest chambers when they are repaired."

Severus's eyes glinted. The opportunity to practice spells that the Headmaster generally frowned upon was enticing. The deciding factor, though, was a room where no irritating Gryffindors or the omnipresent Headmaster could enter without warning or invade his personal space.

"Yes, I believe I would like that."

Harry gave a half-smile. "Good. Come here then."

Harry grabbed Severus's hand as he approached and took out a small dagger from its holster on his belt. With a quick and precise movement, he cut Severus's palm. The blood welled up in the cut. Lightly holding Severus's wrist, Harry guided him over to the wall near the entrance to the bathroom.

"Before someone defaced my statue, the Naga King's eyes were directly focused on this spot in the wall. After today, all you will have to do to get in is wave your hand over this spot and the entrance will open for you. I do not need to tell you not to bring anyone else down to my Chamber now do I?" Harry raised an eyebrow at his seemingly rhetorical statement.

"I highly doubt anyone else would survive the skeletons of dead animals before screaming for help."

Harry acknowledged this disguised assent and pressed Severus's hand against the wall. As his blood soaked into the ancient stone, the magic surrounding the entrance swirled around the two wizards before settling back to its false dormant state.

A whispered spell later and Severus's hand was healed and clean. Several more cleaning spells later, two tall and immaculately clad wizards strode towards the Great Hall and a politically turbulent scene that Harry had not expected until the next day, at the earliest.

**

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****A/N: So this one took quite a bit longer to get out. Hopefully the next chapter does not take up so much time, but with three exams coming up … we'll see.**


	6. Dinner Debacle

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

_

* * *

__Previously:_

_A whispered spell later and Severus's hand was healed and clean. Several more cleaning spells later, two tall and immaculately clad wizards strode towards the Great Hall and a politically turbulent scene that Harry had not expected until the next day, at the earliest._

**

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****Chapter 6: Dinner Debacle**

Harry and Severus entered the Great Hall together and stopped short at the sight displayed in front of them. In front of the Head Table stood a team of four aurors acting as body guards to the short and slightly pudgy man that was clearly harassing Ron.

Severus sneered at the scene, his displeasure made known to all who saw him. Harry turned a questioning look to him, even though he was well aware of who the man was. Severus spoke in a low tone, "The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."

Harry hummed in the back of his throat before making their presence known. "Excuse me, who are you and why are you harassing my friend Godric?" Harry said clearly as he strode toward the Ministry party with Snape's intimidating presence trailing behind him.

The aurors spun around, wands drawn as they assessed this new person. Fudge's face paled as he recognized the figure stalking towards him. He quickly regained what little wits he had and puffed up in importance.

"I was just informing Lord Gryffindor about the current situation that we are in, in hopes that he would guarantee us your aid in disposing of the Dark Lord."

Harry just stared at the Minister, marveling at his presumption. With a quick glance, he saw Ron shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Well I cannot speak for Godric, but I _can_ tell you that the decision whether or not to get involved relies on each individual. We are friends, not a dictatorship. But, it does not mean the rest of us will get involved. I am personally more interested in getting back home, not engaging in a war that we know nothing about for people we know nothing about."

Ron drew the attention back to himself. "I agree with Sal to a certain extent. Perhaps when I understand the full situation and what each side wishes to gain I will help. As of now, we just arrived last night and were attacked upon our arrival. I do not know what has caused everyone to be so cautious, but if there is a legitimate way to fix this problem before we go home, then I will gladly do what is needed."

This was met with a much warmer reception from the Minister. "Good, good. I am sure we can go over the details later and come up with an agreement." He then attempted to escape further scrutiny from the Slytherin Lord, who was making him nervous, by fleeing the Great Hall.

Hermione looked at the Minister with barely veiled disgust. She was never fond of Fudge. His mistreatment of magical creatures and their rights was an easy way to get her started on a vehement and long-winded rant. His goals and methods always aggravated her more ferocious side. The overall goal of ridding the world of Voldemort was admirable; however, his agenda was also geared towards the eradication of supposed Dark Creatures. Werewolves and vampires tended to side with Voldemort simply because he was offering a promise of better living than they currently had under the Ministry's regulations.

"Just what do you expect to accomplish with this war Minister?" Hermione shrewdly asked.

Fudge's eyes whirled wildly in his head, flickering to the large audience that held him captive in his own game. Wringing his hands, he attempted to regain his composure to make an impromptu speech. Unfortunately for the man, these were far from his forte, he performed much better with an already prepared speech.

"Well, we the main goal is to get rid of You-Know-Who and preserve the Wizarding World. Once he is gone, we need to make sure that something like this can never happen again. The best way to prevent another Dark Lord from coming to power is by getting rid of all possible followers." Fudge began to warm to his topic. "Dark Creatures have joined him and are casting just as much fear across the world. The current laws we have for the regulation of magical creatures are far too lenient and allow werewolves, vampires, hags, centaurs and so forth too much leeway and free movement. They need to be monitored for any suspicious activity. Known dangerous animals need to be locked up before they can cause any real damage."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Ron saw the dangerous glint in her eyes and quickly grabbed her hand. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear, "Not yet."

Hermione struggled with herself momentarily before calming. "Minister, I dearly hope that you have not been persecuting these people. They have the right to be treated with respect just as much as anyone else. If you are ignoring these natural rights, it is no wonder that they are fighting against you."

Fudge's breath hitched. This was not going as he had planned. It appeared that even the Light Founders were not going to be supportive of his policies. He knew that he needed to make a strategic retreat and quickly before he lost even more face in front of these powerful individuals. However, he wondered just how much of the opinions he heard today were truly their own, or if it was their friendship with a known Dark Wizard that made them more tolerant.

With a nervous chuckle, Fudge addressed the upset Lady Ravenclaw, "I understand that you are new to this time period. A lot has changed over the last one thousand years. When you get more adjusted to this world, you will see that they are extremely dangerous and the measures that the Ministry has enacted is merely for the safety of its people."

Ron put a restraining arm around Hermione's waist as she puffed up in rage. If there was one thing that she could not stand above any others, was someone patronizing her. Her face started taking on a violent shade of red that would put a Weasley to shame.

Ginny moved to the other side of Hermione and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, her face set in a grim line. "Minister, I suggest that you leave before I have Hogwarts herself expel you. We do not put up with bigotry and idiotic ideas of superiority. We face that enough in our lives and do not condone it within these walls."

Fudge edged away from the Founders, finally realizing that he had insulted all of them. With a hand gesture, he called his auror guard to his side and he turned to leave Hogwarts.

Harry swiveled to face the Minister, his glare causing him to shudder. "I suggest, _Minister_, that you learn to have respect for your fellow beings if you intend to lead them. Otherwise, you will end up with an even worse situation on your hands than you already have."

Fudge and his entourage slunk from the Hall, thinking about the reactions of the Founders to his pleas for assistance. As he left, he straightened his shoulders and resolved to eliminate the Dark influences on the school. Once he did that, the rest of the Founders would not need to continue their delusions to make Lord Slytherin happy. It would take a little while to enact, but he could get the Wizengamot to support any laws that were worded to suggest that the targets were the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.

* * *

The Great Hall was once again thrown into chaos. Several Slytherins were smugly nudging each other, determined to send an update to their parents about the Founders' opinions on the Ministry. Word would rapidly reach the ears of their Master. 

The Gryffindors, on the other hand, had a completely different reaction. They were gob smacked that the Founder of their House would not immediately help out with the war against one of the darkest wizards seen and save the Wizarding World in the process.

Hufflepuffs were impressed at the loyalty that the foursome showed. Their ideals were admirable and the acceptance of differences amongst people demonstrated a genuine appreciation of this.

The Ravenclaws were more subdued in their reactions, seeing both sides of the problem. The Founders stuck by their principles and refused to be ruled by an overbearing Minister whom they owed no allegiance to. They understood that Dark Creatures had much to offer society and were willing to let them. However, the thought that the Minister had firmly driven these powerful wizards and witches from aiding them against the Dark Lord was extremely worrisome.

The staff had a variety of reactions. Snape was standing stoically at Harry's side. He was well aware of his aversion to getting involved in this war. He knew there were going to be quite a few disappointed people when they realized that they had no intentions of leading the Light to a commanding victory over the Dark Lord.

The majority of the staff looked pensive. Dumbledore appeared mildly concerned. His twinkle was dim, but still present. He was hoping that the four dimension travelers would not rescind their help entirely. It would not make any sense for them to fight Voldemort in one dimension and not this one where he had committed even more atrocities against society.

However, not all of the staff was willing to take this answer so calmly or wait for further explanation.

James Potter jumped up from where he had been sitting. "How could you!" he said accusingly at Harry.

Harry raised an eyebrow at his father's outburst.

"I should have known. You may only be seventeen, but it's obvious that you would want your heir to rule the Wizarding World. You must have been evil from the start!"

"Excuse me? What do you mean, _my_ heir?" Harry said glaring at James. He mentally rolled his eyes. His father was proving to be a complete idiot. It was a good thing he was only the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin; otherwise James would be damaging the time line.

Severus glanced nervously at the teen next to him. Unlike James, he was fully aware of what this information could potentially do to the time line and the massive changes that could be wrought with this knowledge.

Dumbledore was trying, unsuccessfully, to get the obstinate Gryffindor to sit down and be quiet. He knew nothing would truly come of this, but he had to at least put forward an effort to keep up the façade in front of the rest of the school.

James plowed onwards, "Yes. _Your_ heir. Voldemort is _your_ direct descendent."

Ginny made her way from Hermione's side to Harry's. She had no idea how they were going to fix this mess, but she had to try something. She grasped Harry's elbow and gave it a squeeze. His eyebrow was twitching in irritation. She knew that she had to say something before Harry lost his temper and ruined their cover in front of the entire student body.

"I do not know who you are. But I _do_ know who Sal is. He may be a Dark Wizard, but he is _not_ evil. I also severely doubt that this Dark Lord is his real heir."

Dumbledore was extremely confused by this statement. He knew for a fact that Tom Riddle's mother was Merope Gaunt. The Gaunts were well known to be direct descendents of Slytherin. "Would you please explain what you mean? How can you be so sure about the heirs?"

Ginny grinned smugly up at the Headmaster. "I would be glad to explain. We built Hogwarts. By doing so, we put a large part of ourselves into her. A _true_ heir, of any of us, will be chosen by Hogwarts herself."

Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow. This was going to explain quite a lot and hopefully smooth over any transgressions that James had made. "Oh? How exactly does that work?"

Ginny smiled, realizing what the Headmaster was hoping for. "Hogwarts is a fairly sentient being. I imagine after so many years of magic being practiced in her halls, it has become even more pronounced. Only a direct descendent of us can become our heir. However, there is an extra stipulation that Hogwarts will guarantee. She will pick the individual that is most like us and show them our secrets. Just being a descendent is not enough. Unless Hogwarts personally chose this Dark Lord and shared all of Salazar's secrets with him, it is impossible for him to be an heir. Since he is not in this castle and she seems to resent him, it is obvious that this person is a false heir."

The hall was in shock. The feared Heir of Slytherin had usurped his title and was lying about his position. He may have been a descendent, but there was no way that he had access to the Slytherin vaults or the true secret chambers of the castle.

Lily Potter reached up and grabbed James's shirt, pulling him back down into his chair. "Would you be quiet? You are making an idiot of yourself," she hissed into his ear.

* * *

The four left the Great Hall. Ginny had her hand wrapped around Harry's wrist, leading him through the hallways. It was only through a great amount of practice he had with her being angry with him that he was able to follow her and keep his dignity, or at least appeared unflustered. He could feel her grip tighten as they reached the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor. He knew he was in trouble if she was taking him to her office. 

It was one of the details that they had learned when Hogwarts awakened their memories of their past lives. The witch was a secret passageway to Hogsmeade, but if Helga Hufflepuff or her heir used a different password, the statue opened to a staircase that headed up to her office rather than down to the cellar of Honeyduke's.

She dragged him up the stairs before the witch had fully opened. Ron and Hermione were following quickly and silently behind them.

Her office walls were done in yellow. The furniture was all carved from chestnut with black fabric upholstery. The shelves were covered in books ranging from the extremely rare _Known Magical Herbs of Babylon_, written in the original cuneiform text to the more well-studied _Arithmatic Transforms_ that even the modern students were taught from, although from a much later edition.

As people appeared in the room, chairs popped into existence. Behind the desk, a simplistic yet elegant chair that matched the décor of the room came into existence. The next chair that appeared was of a completely different design and color scheme. It was covered in rich green velvet with snakes carved into the wooden legs.

Ginny threw Harry into the green chair, before rounding on him violently.

"You mean that we're going to sit around here and do _nothing_!" shouted an irate Ginny.

"I said nothing of the sort. We just don't know enough about this world. Is there a prophecy? If there is, does that make Neville the Boy-Who-Lived? Is it up to your counterparts and him then? Does it even matter? There are too many variables," Harry defended himself.

"That may be true, but we can still help them. We aren't limited to only helping our world."

Harry ran a hand over his face, then through his hair. "I know that. I do. But please, can we take this slower? I am tired of fighting. I've done my job. Our Voldemort is dead. I saw his spirit evaporate under that last spell. So many have died. I am not ready to see them die again here."

Ron looked at Harry and felt slightly guilty for pushing the issue, but proceeded regardless, "From what that moron was telling me before you came into the Great Hall, Voldemort never fell. He's been at large this entire time without a thirteen year break in the middle. If we don't help now, there is a very good chance that they will die anyway."

Harry looked strained. His desire to be normal and have a break from the constant fighting that was his life had once again eluded his grasp. He needed a vacation, but it seemed as if he would not have one until this Voldemort was dead or they were back in their own world. "Maybe we should meet with the Headmaster and see if they have a version of the Order here. Because there is no way that I will help further that git's political career."

Hermione took on a look of deepest insult. "How dare you suggest such a thing!"

The other three looked at her in shock.

"As if I could stand to be in that pompous windbag's presence any longer than necessary. I have every intention of ruining his dreams of further restrictions on magical creatures, if it's the last thing I do. I'm only sad that he was killed off back home before I could make him out to be even more of an idiot than he already was," Hermione concluded.

Harry smiled weakly at her. No amount of humor would ease the sense of impending doom he felt. Some how he knew that this meeting would draw them into this war and he would be in it for the duration. Even if it was the right thing to do, he was too war weary to take any moral satisfaction from that knowledge.

He slowly rose and left Ginny's office. The other three followed him at a distance as he approached the gargoyle that guarded his own office, which was now the only office still in use today. It just so happened that the old Slytherin office was now used by the Headmasters after Slytherin's disappearance from the castle nearly an eon ago.

Dumbledore looked up, startled at the sudden intrusion of his office. Usually, the gargoyle would set off a ward in the office, alerting the Headmaster about company and who they were. He had never had a case where the gargoyle refused to forewarn him though.

The four conjured chairs that reflected their status as the Founder's reincarnated and sat in front of the desk.

Dumbledore looked between them, white bushy eyebrows raised. "Can I help you?"

Harry sighed, resigned to the task the others had left him with.

"Yes, Headmaster. We have a few questions for you about this war before we make any final decisions about whether or not to get involved."

Dumbledore's brow eased from the tension that had taken residence since their proclamations in the Great Hall. This was not a guarantee of their assistance, but it was a much better situation than he had previously thought he was going to be in with these four warrior teenagers.

"I'll answer whatever I can."

Harry was instantly on guard. He knew that response and it usually preceded Dumbledore's infamous evasive answers and speeches about the greater good. "I am sorry Albus, but you will answer everything I ask you thoroughly because I will not help you unless I have _all_ of the details. I will not fight in the dark for you again. Are we clear?"

Dumbledore was surprised. No one took this attitude with him. If he felt the need to conceal something, it was his prerogative. However, faced with the alternative of not having these experienced fighters on his side it seemed that he would have to cave to these demands. This young man was clearly used to his game and would know if he was leaving anything out.

"Very well. What do you need to know?"

Harry looked the elderly man over before deciding that he was truly acquiescing. "Firstly, and most importantly, is there a prophecy in this world?"

"Prophecy? Why yes there is."

Harry gritted his teeth in aggravation. "Thoroughly old man, thoroughly."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, of course." He then popped a lemon drop into his mouth.

Harry raised an eyebrow, quickly losing his temper at the powerful wizard's antics. If there was one thing he did not miss when Dumbledore died was his evasive and annoying habits that made him seem like he was the one in control and the one people needed to answer to, not the other way around.

"Dumbledore, if you don't answer me right this second, I will get up and leave. To hell with what anyone else thinks. I would rather not get involved at all. Your ridiculous behavior makes it all the easier for me to leave and not look back."

The Headmaster swallowed his pride. He was aware that he could not push the issue any further, even though this was one question that he felt needed to be concealed at all costs.

"Very well. There _is_ a prophecy about who will defeat the Dark Lord. There were two options for who the child would be, either Neville Longbottom or yourself. However, when you were killed, it was assumed that the savior would then be the Longbottom boy. We brought his family to the castle for better protection and to train him for the eventual confrontation between Lord Voldemort and Longbottom. There have been several close shaves between the two of them, however nothing definite and each time is more worrying than the last.

"I must admit, seeing you here makes me concerned that we have been training the wrong boy from the beginning. Neville is your age, but he has none of your qualities and that includes your three friends. Even your counterparts here are completely different. Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley are best friends, however they are both exceedingly arrogant for things they have yet to prove themselves on. Miss Granger is in Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor and is mostly silent and reclusive. She has yet to show the resilience that I see the young Miss Granger in front of me exhibits with every breath. Miss Weasley is also extremely different. She is meek and overshadowed by her domineering brothers.

"Perhaps our prophecy alluded to your arrival as the Marked One and we have merely been deceived these past sixteen years."

The four heirs looked at each other. This was not quite what they had expected to hear. "So let me get this straight, Voldemort has yet to mark Neville as his equal?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but we were sure that it was only a matter of time. However, with your appearance …" Dumbledore trailed off.

Harry nodded, becoming introspective. This made things simpler and more complex all at once. Looking up, Harry asked the other question that needed to be answered before he decided what he would do in this new world, "I assume that you are also in charge of the Order of the Phoenix here?"

Dumbledore nodded curtly. "From your question, can I assume that you were a part the Order in your own world?"

Harry smirked. "After your death six months ago, I became the leader of the Order. So, yes, you could assume that we were all members."

Dumbledore's eyebrows got lost in his hairline. The concept of any seventeen year old leading the entire side of the Light against the Dark Lord Voldemort was astounding. The fact that these four managed to then defeat said Dark Lord was incredible.

"If we agree to help, you will not keep secrets from us. We are the ones who defeated him in our world. If you want to guarantee our complete assistance you will keep us completely up to date on Death Eater activity and any new developments with Voldemort's plans. It would be easiest if you introduced us to the Order and explained who we are at the next meeting. We would be able to pool our resources much more efficiently."

Dumbledore grew serious. His expression shuttered as he glanced at the three silent individuals in front of him. It was now clear why they followed the young man with emerald green eyes. He was powerful, persuasive and refused to take anything less than full support. He had never lost control over a situation before. It was a new experience and he did not like it. However, he had no choice if he wanted a quick and definitive defeat against Voldemort. The war had drawn on too long and he was willing to sacrifice his pride in exchange for their experience.

Drawing in a deep breathe he addressed Harry, "Very well. There is an Order meeting on Saturday. I will introduce you then and explain the situation to them as best as possible. This Friday we will meet with the Heads of Houses to go over the exact details of who you are and what they should expect from you. I will then take those memories and the memory of our meeting last night and put them in a pensieve. It will make the meeting go much more smoothly and ensure that everyone hears the same story."

Harry fluidly stood up from his seat, which vanished as he stepped towards Dumbledore's desk. "We have an agreement then. We will discuss the rest of our positions as the Founders' Heirs on Friday and then our roles in the war on Saturday."

The other three rose behind him, chairs vanishing. Harry gave the Headmaster a nod, turned and left the office. Ginny caught up with him in the stairwell. Ron and Hermione quickly nodded their acceptance of the arrangement and followed the other two out.

As they left the stairway exiting from the office, Ginny turned to Harry saying, "I'm exhausted. Come with me Harry, you can sleep with me again tonight."

"You're sleeping where?"

"Oh honestly Ron!" Ginny huffed. "You remember how long it took the last time to clean those Chambers up. You can't really believe that he would have his rooms ready yet."

"Where did you think I slept last night?" Harry chimed in.

"Well … well …" Ron spluttered.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

Hermione patted Ron's hand and addressed Harry, "After all of these years Harry, I thought that you would remember by now. If it interferes with his earting or sleeping, he doesn't notice it."

"Now wait a minute!" Ron protested indignantly.

Hermione steered him up the stairs towards the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor towers that held their inner sanctums by his elbow. "Come on Ron. If you can't trust Ginny with your best friend, who can you trust her with? Besides, it's Harry we're talking about. He has a hero-complex a kilometer long." Ron deflated and let her lead him away.

It was now Harry's turn to splutter indignantly and Ginny's to console the wounded male ego.

"Let's go Harry. We only have two days until Albus meets with the Heads of Houses to tell them the truth and three until the Order meeting. We're going to need to get as settled in as possible before our relative peace is completely destroyed. I'm sure you'll want your Chambers as neat as possible by then too; if just to keep Ron from having an aneurysm. That means we'll be busy all day tomorrow buying furnishings for your bedroom"

With that, Harry was mollified and content to be ushered into bed with his girlfriend for an exceedingly rare second night of uninterrupted sleep.

**

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****A/N: Thanks for waiting patiently. This chapter was rather difficult for me to put together and actually ended up longer than I had originally suspected. The next few chapters will be angst-filled and start moving along the time line faster.** **Till next time. - Tammy**


	7. Friday Comes

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

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Previously: _

_With that, Harry was mollified and content to be ushered into bed with his girlfriend for an exceedingly rare second night of uninterrupted sleep._

**

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Chapter 7: Friday Comes **

"I don't know about this, Sirius. Just his presence in the castle puts me on edge. He said it, in front of everyone, smugly. He's a Dark Wizard. He actually earned a Mastery in the subject!" James continued pacing in his office, nervously threading his fingers through his messy locks.

Sirius sat in an armchair listening to his best friend rant. Now was not the time to remind James that he was Dark Wizard himself. He was the Head of the Blacks, one of the most notoriously Dark families in existence. Just because he fought for Dumbledore did not mean that he was Light. He just had a thing against homicidal maniacs in general. No, his reason for being suspicious of the young Salazar Slytherin was simply that; he was a Slytherin. They were devious, cunning, manipulative and generally untrustworthy. A loud crash jostled Sirius out of his musings.

James was panting in rage. Beside him were the remnants of one of Lily's favorite vases. Sirius shook his head, knowing that Lily would have James's head when she found out that he had destroyed it in a fit of irritation. "You know James, I agree that Slytherin is dangerous, but so is your wife. I would suggest you calm down and fix the vase before she finds it because I don't want to be anywhere near here when she discovers that it was broken. I remember the last time. I swear my ears are still ringing."

James's face paled as he looked at the ruin of the delicate vase resting by his feet. As if on cue, the door opened, revealing a petite redheaded woman. "James, I must say, sometimes you are the biggest idiot on the face of this planet …" she trailed off as she noticed the mess on the floor by her husband's feet.

Sirius casually stood up and edged toward the doorway to leave his friend in the more than capable hands of his wife. Just as the doorway closed, separating him from the couple, he heard, "James Edward Potter! What is this mess!" Sirius chuckled silently to himself and resolved to return later, preferably when Lily was done ranting at James. It was times like these that he was convinced he would never get married.

* * *

If there was one thing Harry hated more than Voldemort, it was shopping. Not only that, but shopping with two girls. He had already decorated the Chamber back in their own world; it should have made the whole expedition faster. But Ginny and Hermione were determined to get him to buy other fabrics and do his room in something other than emerald green and silver. 

In the end, he agreed to let the girls help him pick out his clothes if they would just leave his room alone. He truly regretted that decision now. And people called him manipulative.

They were still in Hogsmeade. He had made it to a furniture store to order a new mattress, wardrobe, shelves and writing table. They were all to be done in the same wood that was originally in the room so that they would match the small end tables and bed frame already there. The bed curtains and sheets, however, had to be specially ordered and they would be shipped to the castle the next morning.

He decided to wait on ordering the furniture for the four guest bedrooms in the Chamber. There was no real rush to get those completed and he had every intention of letting Severus decorate one to his own tastes--that is, if he was still speaking with him after their meeting set for the next day.

So now, here he stood, in the middle of Gladrags Wizarding Wear with two insane witches, a seamstress, a tailor and the manager of the store all speaking at once trying to get his attention on whatever it was they were trying to sell him. He knew he had money, that was not the problem. The problem was that he just did _not_ care. He did not see the necessity of buying all of these clothes when he had every intention of going back to his own dimension where he had already been through this.

Ron had already made his escape and was down the street examining Quidditch supplies or probably buying pranks from Zonko's. Apparently Salazar Slytherin had a higher image to uphold than Gryffindor. Ron got off easy, Gryffindor was known to be spartan and he was able to do without too many extra sets of clothes. But for some reason the public had the opinion that Slytherin must have been obsessed with fashion. In all reality, that was a modern pureblood trend, not one from an eon ago.

He swore to himself that he was _never_ going shopping again. He did not like it, in either lifetime. After this trip, he was going to pick up his furniture, go down to the Chamber, arrange his bedroom and seal himself away until the meeting later that night. If Ginny helped bring down the furniture, he could use that time to key her into the wards too. Then, he could spend the rest of the afternoon hiding and repairing his wounded pride.

"Sal, I swear, if you don't come out hear right now and let me see that outfit, I'll come in after you. You still haven't gotten to the official dress robes for Ministry functions. Do I need to change you myself?" he heard Ginny's voice echo throughout the store as he hid behind the curtains.

He really hated shopping.

* * *

It was now late afternoon and Sirius had dragged Remus down the hallway to James and Lily's private quarters. He was sure that the dust had settled and it was safe to return, but he was going to have backup, just in case. He pressed his ear to the portrait door, trying to hear if anything was going on inside. 

"Sometimes, Padfoot, I wonder how you got into Gryffindor," Remus said as he shoved Sirius aside and knocked on the door.

The door opened, revealing a pretty girl about fourteen years old with auburn hair and warm hazel eyes. Seeing the two men, she beamed and rushed at them, arms open.

"Hey kiddo! Is your Dad in?"

Violet laughed at Sirius's wary expression. "Yeah, he's in his office, sulking."

Remus shook his head at his friends' childish antics. If there was one reason he was glad James married Lily, it was because he finally was able to have a mature conversation with someone that lasted more than ten minutes.

Sirius followed Remus to the door of James's study. Remus swiveled his head about to look at Sirius. "Do you think you can handle knocking on the door? Or shall I?"

Sirius grunted at the werewolf in response and elbowed his way to the door before briskly rapping out a staccato.

"Come in," came the muffled and disgruntled response.

The two Marauders entered the study to find their friend glaring at a cold fireplace.

"You know Prongs, the fire won't start only from your glare. I believe that talent is reserved for Snivellus," Sirius called out, getting his attention.

"Hey mates," James replied, his pensive look returning.

"Alright, I know you can't be sulking about Lily chewing you out for breaking the vase. She's yelled at you so many times over the years I'm surprised your ear drums haven't ruptured," Remus said as he walked across the room, then took a seat in the leather arm chair by the cold fireplace.

Sirius hopped over the back of the couch, causing James to bounce on his cushion.

"No, it's not Lily. It's Violet."

Remus did a double take at that unexpected answer.

"I'm concerned about her. You know how naturally inquisitive she is." James glanced up from his staring contest with the inanimate fixture to see Sirius and Remus hesitantly nod, waiting to see where he was going with this line of thought.

"She's going to be fascinated by the Founders, which is all well and good, but with her ability to find trouble, I just can't help worrying about her associating with the wrong one."

Remus could see where this was going, but he was not too sure that he liked it. Violet would do whatever she felt like, regardless of the consequences; she was too much like her father not to. Telling her not to do something was almost a guarantee that she would do exactly the opposite.

James continued in his reasoning, "When Voldemort finds out that his ancestor is here, he will be determined to plead his side. Can you really see Salazar Slytherin siding against his descendent? And with all of the things Voldemort has pulled over the years, I am afraid of what might happen if she is left alone with that man. I can't lose my daughter too."

Sirius put his arm around James's shoulders and pulled him into a brotherly hug. "Then it's simple, Prongs, we make sure that she's never alone with him. Let her talk with the other Founders all she wants, but give her express directions to leave if Slytherin is in the area."

Remus leaned forward and put his hand comfortingly on James's knee. "We'll all three tell her. Maybe she'll see how important it is if we approach her together."

James gave a weak smile and nodded.

* * *

Violet sat opposite her father, arms crossed in defiance. Sometimes, having the equivalent of three fathers, even if they were the infamous Marauders, was extremely maddening for a girl. So far, they had only been this controlling on the subject of boys. 

"Violet Spryte Potter, are you listening to me?"

She glanced up from her sulk enough to glare at her father and his two best friends that were imposing these ludicrous restrictions on her.

"I will not have you anywhere near that man. You can talk to the other Founders, but I don't care if all three of them are with him, you will make your excuses and leave. Are we clear young lady?"

She could not contain an eye roll. Slipping her left hand further into the crook of her right elbow, she crossed her fingers. "Yes Daddy," she said innocently.

She was not about to let her father dictate who she was allowed to talk to. There was a reason the hat had difficulty deciding between Gryffindor and Slytherin, not that she had told anyone else. She took full advantage of her innocent face. It would melt the heart of nearly anyone and she rarely had to ask for something if she wanted it. The unfortunate downside of this, however, was that it tended to make adults overprotective of her, not just her parents. She knew that there would be no way that her father or uncles would changes their minds about her speaking to Lord Slytherin, but that did not mean that she would obey them. She found him fascinating and drawn to the dark teen. Besides, rules were meant to be broken, it was after all the first rule of the Marauders.

* * *

Normally, weekends were something that every teenager celebrated. However, this particular weekend and these particular teenagers found more to be concerned and anxious about than to celebrate. Tragically, for them, Friday still came. 

The four Heads of Houses filed into the office. An unusual set-up met them when the inner office door opened. In the center of the room, in front of the Headmaster's desk, was a bowl sitting on a pedestal containing a silvery fluid. To the right of this bowl, sat the four Founders in ornately carved and upholstered chairs. Finishing the semi-circle, were four chintz chairs that the Headmaster was so famous for conjuring on the left side of the pensieve.

The four young Founders appeared nervous, all except the teenaged Salazar Slytherin. Snape narrowed his eyes and examined the verdant-eyed wizard closer. His face was set in a blank mask of indifference and his posture screamed of confidence and control. But, his left hand was clenched tightly around Hufflepuff's right. His small snake familiar was entwined about his upper arm and appeared to be whispering into his ear. It was these tiny details that concerned Severus the most and showed him that Slytherin was perhaps the most nervous here.

"Ah, good, you're here," a pleased Dumbledore said as he approached his seat behind the desk.

The Heads made their way to the chairs that were clearly set out for them and sat down, facing the Founders over the pensieve.

"We have a lot to go over today. In front of you is the memory of the meeting we conducted on Tuesday, right after their arrival outside of Godric's Hollow. After you view this memory, I am sure that you will have plenty of questions. In fact, _I_ still have several questions that I would like answered. Then, we must discuss their roles in this school and how disciplinary situations will be resolved and by whom.

"If you four would approach the pensieve, we can begin. I will ask you to keep an open mind and be respectful after you finish viewing the memory."

With that the four Heads touched the silvery liquid and disappeared into the memory.

Time passed achingly slowly for the four nervous teens. They did not know how their deception would be received, nor their identities. The truth was so far fetched that their lie made more sense than the stark reality. This would change their relationships with these people in ways they did not even want to contemplate. Up until now, they had been treated with respect and deference. However, once they realized that they were merely the alternates of the children they taught, the respect and treatment they had received thus far may be totally eradicated.

Dumbledore sat in his chair, regally surveying the teens. He was intrigued by them. They were walking contradictions. At one moment, they were proud and imposing; the next, they were nervous, anxious and desperate for acceptance. He supposed that it made sense to most people. However, he found that nearly everyone fell into that category for him and therefore, he treated everyone about the same. They were always his students, his children. It just happened that he was more disappointed in some than others.

The four teachers reappeared outside of the pensieve, stunned. McGonagall made her way, shakily, to a chair and sat down. Looking up, she stared at Harry as if seeing him for the first time. Professor Sprout was just as stunned, but for different reasons. She had always known that her House had the potential for bravery, but she had never seen it as clearly displayed as she saw in Ginny. Flitwick was sitting still, contemplating the charm that could have sent four essentially adult wizards across dimensions; he was stumped.

Snape, however, remained standing. A look of utter revulsion twisted his features into a snarl. The man he respected and had started to befriend was nothing more than Potter spawn.

Harry gazed levelly at the Head of Slytherin, only to be met with a sneer. He knew he would have the most work out of everyone to regain the trust he had started to earn from the Potions Master.

Dumbledore looked reprovingly at Snape. "Severus, please."

Snape scowled and sank into the last open arm chair, glaring at Harry the entire time.

Dumbledore looked over the still stunned professors to see if they were ready to begin. "Very well, I believe I shall start with the question that has been bothering me the most."

This captured the attention of the four teens. They quickly refocused on the real reason of the meeting.

"How did you kill Voldemort?"

The professors shuddered at the name, which caused Harry to smirk. Some things never changed.

He turned to Dumbledore, avoiding Severus's icy glare. "As you are aware, there was a prophecy made about me and a power the Dark Lord knew not. You had suggested that the power was love, but you were not quite right. We found a spell that would draw on not only my power, but the latent magic in Hogwarts' very foundation. Hermione could explain the intricacies better than I can. In effect, the power was true loyalty and trust. The four of us had to unite the school to make a steady base to drawn on. We then set ourselves facing the four directions, with me facing Tom. Incanting the spell, we focused the magic through me. I basically acted as the wand. With the amount of power we were able to tap into we obliterated him."

Dumbledore seemed impressed. "You mentioned loyalty and trust as the true power …"

Harry smiled, "Yes. In order for the spell to work, I had to have complete trust in my friends. They had complete access to my magical core. If they were not truly loyal to me or if I did not have complete trust in them, the results would have been entirely different. It was possible that I could have exploded or have been drained of my life and magic."

Everyone looked stunned at that announcement. The mere thought of four teenagers willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the Wizarding World was humbling.

Professor McGonagall shook herself out of her stupor enough to ask, "Are you sure he's dead? He's carried out so many rituals to ensure his immortality that I wouldn't be surprised if his spirit lived beyond his body's destruction."

Harry's face darkened at this, drawn into the scant memory he had of the night he lost his parents.

Ron decided it was time to take the foreground and give Harry time to come out of his morbid thoughts. "Most definitely. Before we were hit with whatever curse it was that sent us here, I saw his soul destroyed. It was bloody brilliant. His body literally disintegrated and this black shadow escaped and tried to leave the grounds. The next thing we knew there was this awful shrieking and the soul imploded."

Flitwick and Sprout looked mildly scandalized by this less than tactful description of the Dark Lord' demise. McGonagall was trapped in between her role as Deputy Headmistress and a Gryffindor. She kept fluctuating between being clearly impressed and being disgruntled at the less than professional report on his destruction. Snape kept his face neutral; he was not prepared to get his hopes up that just because these four could get rid of the Voldemort in their world, they could get rid of the Voldemort in this. However, he could not help but lightly finger his left forearm, wishing for the day he would no longer bear his disgusting mark.

Pomona Sprout looked thoughtfully at Harry. "If you've already fought and defeated You-Know-Who, why did you say that you wouldn't help us?"

The four shifted uncomfortably in their seats. There was no easy way to explain their histories, and definitely not Harry's. That was something they hoped to put off, at least until their meeting with the Order the next day.

Harry felt it was best if he took control again since most of their reservations came from him. "We are from a completely different world. There is no way to know what carries over between the two or if your Voldemort could even be vanquished in the same manner. Most importantly, however, is that we _just_ killed him barely minutes before we arrived here. I can't speak for everyone else, but I am not excited about the idea of having to do it again."

Snape could see the logic in these words. They were not the ramblings of some reckless Gryffindor. If he had just survived a war, he would not be so anxious to jump into another one. He strongly suspected that the only reason he was here was on the urgings of his girlfriend and best friend. Of course, it appeared as if he was the only one in the room that truly understood, though.

As if confirming his inner thoughts, McGonagall asked, "You _are_ going to help though, right?"

Harry sighed. This world was completely different in some respects, yet horribly the same in others. It seemed that no matter what dimension he was in, no one _really_ listened to him. "We'll see. That's what we will be talking about tomorrow."

McGonagall sat back, dissatisfied with that answer.

It was clear to everyone that the subject was closed for the evening.

Just then, tiny Professor Flitwick spoke up, "I'm confused by all of this. You have so much knowledge of the castle and heir system, however you play the Founders too well to just be their heirs. Who exactly are you?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, pleased. This was one of the questions he had been most anxious to hear the answer to. However, he knew if it came from him, it would be met with suspicion.

Hermione sat forward, eager to discuss the intricacies of their genealogies and Hogwarts' growing sentience. Harry looked relieved that he escaped anymore explanations that evening.

"Well, you see, that's a very intriguing problem. We didn't really know a lot about all of this until the castle unlocked our memories. Theoretically, when an heir is claimed, Hogwarts passes on the knowledge of our secret chambers and the secrets of the castle. That is not exactly what happened to us, though. Instead, she released the memories that were dormant in us. We are the Founders, just their reincarnations."

There was stunned silence in the office following this proclamation. But she did not stop there. "That, however, is not the most interesting part of the whole thing. Not only are we the reincarnations of the Founders, but we also happen to be their direct descendents. That was a huge surprise for both Harry and I.

"I thought I was a muggleborn. However, apparently my mother is from a long line of squibs that descend from Rowena Ravenclaw. My father, however, is purely muggle. I didn't even bother researching my full family history though until we realized that _all_ of us were actual descendents of, well, ourselves." Hermione paused, momentarily confused by the cyclical pattern.

"Well, the Slytherin family is more interesting than mine, but not nearly as complex as the Gryffindor or Hufflepuff lines. You see, Slytherin had two sons. Unfortunately, the first son's line eventually disappeared and no one kept any real records. The Gaunts were known descendents of Salazar, however, they were from the second son. As long as the eldest's line remained, they would never truly be the rightful heirs. The easiest way to tell if a person is Slytherin is through their eye color. It's rather distinctive and usually the first feature anyone will notice on them. Three generations ago, however, the last descendent from that eldest son of Salazar's was born a squib and they could have no more children. It was this reason that made Harry's grandparents so ecstatic that their youngest was a witch. She had been the first since her great grandparents to be magical. With that magical inheritance, she gained the distinctive emerald green eyes of a true Slytherin. I doubt even she realizes her ancestry. It took quite a long time to work it out, nearly as long as it took me to find my magical history."

Harry interrupted briefly, "You have no idea how happy I was to find out that my Parseltongue gift was my own and not something I received from Voldemort the night he tried to kill me."

Hermione smiled gently at him. "I believe I'll let Ginny tell her family history. It's rather complex and took a lot of work from her to find it all out. Of course, it probably wouldn't have if Ron had helped out some," she said, shooting a playful glare at her fiancé. Ron ducked his head slightly in embarrassment from being scolded in front of the people they were trying to impress.

Ginny loosened her grip on Harry's hand slightly before beginning her portion of the conversation. "As you know, Ron is my older brother. I got my name, Ginevra," she paused with a slightly disgusted looked on her face, "because I was the first girl born into the Weasley family in generations. Godric was Helga's older brother, however, the Hufflepuff line was matrilineal causing them to have different last names. As long as there was a female born to the line, she would take the last name Hufflepuff. After a time though, only boys were born into the family and they always took their fathers' names. The Hufflepuff line was lost and matrilineal lines eventually faded into the history books. The Weasley line is directly descended from Helga Hufflepuff.

"That, however, is not the only thing that complicates matters because the Prewetts were directly descended from Godric Gryffindor. Normally, you would expect the eldest son to take the inheritance and title, but that didn't really work out in this case. Ron was the actual reincarnation of Godric, which pretty much nullified any claims that the other boys could have on it." She stopped, looking at the even more perplexed faces of the teachers.

Flitwick spoke up enough to squeak out his follow up question. "So, what you are saying is that you are all descendents of the Founders. Not only that, but you are also their reincarnations."

Hermione nodded vigorously. "It's really odd. Theoretically, there should have been heirs throughout the generations, but like we said in the Hall, Hogwarts herself is left to select those that should be deemed heirs. From what we were able to gather in our own world, the magic that has been used in her for so long has given her a kind of sentience. She already had some minor form of it when she was built, but it has grown over the last one thousand years. Needless to say, she decided that there was no real substitute for the real thing and never chose heirs. So, when we came here she recognized us as, well, as her parents of a sort. After several years, we essentially proved ourselves and she showed us the secrets of the castle as heirs should be shown. However, it unlocked the residual memories we had of our past lives. We woke up the next day with more knowledge than we knew existed and masteries in subjects that we would not have been able to pursue due to the educational system's structure."

The stunned silence in the office was palpable. It was clear that none of the professors knew exactly what to make of these proclamations. They were merely teenagers, and teenagers with counterparts that were their students. However, they were also the Founders with all of their memories. Dumbledore cleared his throat before reaching for a lemon drop.

"I think it would be best if we remembered that outside appearances must be kept. To the rest of the school and the Wizarding World in general, they will still be known as the Founders. To treat them any differently than such would risk suspicion and we cannot afford that at this point in time. So, my question to you is how will we resolve your roles in the school. Clearly we cannot expect you to act as students or be treated as inferiors to the staff. But we also cannot allow your presence to undermine the faculty's authority."

Snape forced himself to withhold a sneer at this inane turn in the conversation. He was already aware of the fact that Lord Slytherin, no _Potter_, did not want that type of responsibility. But this did not fit with the image he had of all things related to that arrogant twat who tormented his every move. Perhaps it would be best to merely think of the boy as Salazar instead of the dead son of his enemy. After all, that was exactly who he was, in a way.

Harry again took the reins of the discussion and supplied the solution he had come up with several days before. "We are the same age as your oldest students and we do not want to take over the school from you. However, I think it would be a bad decision to act as if nothing has changed in the way Hogwarts is run. In order to reduce the amount of influence the students feel we have over them, perhaps we should eat breakfast and lunch at our respective House tables and then dinner at the Head Table. The staff would still have the same responsibilities to the students and we would be seen as merely visitors, people capable of blending with either group. We would hold their respect and be able to lecture students or send them to a teacher for punishment, but wouldn't issue detentions or point losses ourselves. That way, we are still seen as authority figures, but we would still distance ourselves from the immediate situation."

Dumbledore thought this suggestion over thoroughly. Soon, all of the staff would know that they were not actually from the past and it would be best if they were treated as a neutral group, one with respect, but no real power in governing the school other than what their presence would ensure.

"Very well. I believe that is the best solution for now. I think we have all had a long and tiring meeting. Please come prepared for tomorrow's Order meeting. It starts at one, please try to be early so that we may start on time. The members will be viewing this meeting through the pensieve to cut down on irrational outbursts and to start everyone on even footing. Have a good evening."

With that dismissal, the eight stood up and left the office.

Harry was jerked to the side by a rough hand on his elbow. A silky baritone hissed into his ear, "I believe we have some things to discuss."

Snape and Harry turned and walked in the opposite direction from the group heading towards the Great Hall. The silence stretched on until they reached the isolation of the dungeon classrooms and sealed themselves into Snape's private office.

"So, a Potter." Snape reclined against his desk with his arms folded across his chest.

Harry had to restrain himself from wincing at the frigid tone. He knew this would not be easy, but he refused to give up his first friend in this world. "Yes."

"I cannot imagine why you would go through such great lengths to get on my good side. I realize that your father died; but you did not mention anything about Black or Lupin. I doubt they would approve of you giving me access to your personal chambers."

Harry heard the underlying question. The problem was that he did not know how to answer it. The man made his life a living nightmare until the age of sixteen. They were still barely on speaking terms in his home dimension. He was not even sure if the man survived the final battle. But he had learned that Severus Snape was one man that no one should ever cross.

"The first reason was because I was aware that no one else would talk to me as Salazar Slytherin. But I've always respected you, even if you were an evil git to me."

"And why would I have cause to be harsher on you than anyone else?"

"You know, I was never too sure about that. The Headmaster said it was because my father saved your life, which I never really understood. I always thought that it was because my father died before you could get your revenge and took it out on me in his place."

Severus scowled and nodded at the possibility. "I cannot imagine that the mutts merely sat back and let me take my vengeance."

Harry shook his head. "They were in no position to do anything about it. Sirius was in Azkaban until third year when he escaped and was on the run until the end of my fifth year when Bellatrix LeStrange killed him. I only met Remus my third year when he became our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Snape was confused. The illustrious Marauders were completely destroyed and had no influence over the young man in front of him, that much was clear. There had to be more reason than just past grudges. Of course, he had the real people to focus on, not a shade.

"I think the main difference was that in my world, I had gotten rid of Voldemort and you had to keep up appearances as a disgruntled Death Eater, which made me the obvious target for your attacks."

"That would make sense, but I doubt that I treated you much better in private."

"No, you didn't."

"So why did you approach me and offer me your help against your father and his friends?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Although I want nothing more than their acceptance, from what you know of them, do you really think they would accept the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin as their long lost son?"

Snape stood up from the desk he was leaning on and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, I do not."

Harry nodded, slightly disheartened, but expecting the answer nonetheless. Looking up at one of the only two people that accepted him in this new dimension he said, "I think it would be easiest if you just thought of me as Salazar Slytherin: Potions Master and Master of the Dark Arts and their Defense."

Snape nodded in agreement. This man had very few similarities to his arrogant, Gryffindor father and it would be easier to think of him as Slytherin rather than a Potter.

"I will see you tomorrow Professor Snape. I still have to finish my bedroom. The hangings came in this morning and I want to get that done. If I have the energy after the meeting tomorrow, I'll start cleaning out the guest bedroom."

Snape undid the silencing charms on the room and unlocked the door.

As Harry left the abandoned dungeon classroom, he head a distinctive baritone voice say, "Have a good evening, Salazar."

**

* * *

A/N: Wow, finally done. Okay that was by far the longest chapter yet. I shudder to think of chapter eight and how long it will be. I hope you enjoyed it. This should be the end of the long-winded explanations, so get ready for lots of angst, politics and prejudice. **


	8. A Chaotic Order

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

_Previously: _

_Snape undid the silencing charms on the room and unlocked the door._

_As Harry left the abandoned dungeon classroom, he head a distinctive baritone voice say, "Have a good evening, Salazar."_

**

* * *

Chapter Eight: A Chaotic Order **

Just as Friday came, so did Saturday. If Harry had been nervous before, nothing compared to his anxiety now. He still had four and a half hours until the meeting and his first real conversation with his parents.

He decided to go dressed in casual clothes today to hopefully reduce his intimidating presence before he was surrounded by a whole body of hostile wizards. Although, if anyone caught him coming out of the girls' bathroom, his image would be destroyed anyway.

Of course, the moment he thought that, he bumped into a girl heading in the opposite direction.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you there," Harry said, reaching out a hand to steady her.

"That's alright. Where are you heading?"

"The Great Hall. Aren't _you_ supposed to be going there like all of the rest of the students?"

Violet shifted uneasily underneath his knowing smirk. She was supposed to be headed towards the Great Hall, but she had heard rumors that Slytherin was seen in this area often. Strictly speaking, she was not supposed to be in his presence, but she consoled herself with the thought that a brief glance at him would not corrupt or endanger her.

"So, what is your name young lady?" Harry had to admit that he enjoyed using the characteristics from his past self. He came off as that much smoother and that much more intimidating. It had always been a part of himself, but since his old memories had been awakened, the smoother, more self-assured part of himself came out much more naturally.

"Violet Potter."

Harry nearly jumped for joy. This was one of the people he was most excited to meet, not to mention the fact that he could get a better approximation of his parents from her thanfrom anyone else.

"Pleasure to meet you. And what year are you in?"

"Fifth year."

Violet could not believe her luck. She was thrilled to have this moment to talk to the infamous Lord Slytherin, except now that she was there, she could not think of anything to say. She mentally cringed when she heard herself mutter two word answers that sounded curt even to her ears.

Harry merely nodded. She was two years younger than him, which meant that his mother could have been pregnant with her when she died. He remained silent, trying to come to terms with this new possibility.

Violet was determined to hold a real conversation and desperately sought something to fill the growing silence. "So … um … my mum mentioned that you are only seventeen."

"Yes, I am. And would your mum be the Muggle Studies Professor?" Finally, the conversation was heading the direction Harry wanted.

"Yes, and my dad's the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

"What's it like, having them as your teachers?" Harry really wanted to ask what it was like having them as parents, but it was not yet time for _that_ question.

"They're great! Dad let's me use his invisibility cloak sometimes. But usually they use it as an opportunity to keep a closer watch on me," she finished with a frown.

Harry wrinkled his brow. Apparently, their parents were more than just a little overprotective.

They had just made it into the Entrance Hall when they were halted by a yell coming from the other end.

Harry could see how people would confuse him with his father when he was younger. They both had strong bones and messy raven hair. However, James was now much broader and muscular, even his jaw was more square. Harry was lithe and had a more elven look thanks to his mother's genes.

"Violet Potter! What have I told you about wandering off and being alone with that slimy bastard!"

Harry glanced down at the embarrassed girl on his right. He really had no idea how his father had survived so long with being this much of an idiot. _He_ was halfway tempted to challenge him to a duel; he was sure that Dumbledore was the only reason Snape had not yet done the same.

"I bumped into her on the way to breakfast and offered to escort her. I was unaware that it was an insult to be shown courtesy by a Founder," Harry cut in, a slight edge in his voice.

James's face was flushed in irritation. "Come on Violet." Roughly, Violet was escorted to her seat at Gryffindor table.

Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the silent approach of the Potions Master. "Is he always so pleasant?"

"Only to Slytherins."

Harry sighed, "I was afraid of that. However, Violet doesn't seem to have the same prejudice."

Severus sneered. "No, but she inherited his love to cause trouble. The simple fact that he forbade her from talking to you ensured that she would search you out. If it was not such a Gryffindor attitude, I would be ecstatic at the amount of problems she gives Potter."

Harry gave a small self-deprecating laugh. "Your desires will probably happen tonight. I can't imagine that he will be happy that his long lost son is actually Salazar Slytherin reincarnated."

Severus did not know how to respond to this. Instead, he set one elegant hand on the young man's shoulder before heading into the Great Hall and his seat at the High Table.

Calmly straightening himself out, Harry entered the Hall and sat with the Slytherin Seventh Years, across from Draco Malfoy and next to Blaise Zabini. Harry had to stop himself from outright laughing at the star-struck look in Malfoy's eyes. It was such an odd look on the boy, that he appeared stoned. He wished that he had a camera to record the momentous occasion when someone managed to make Malfoy's mask fall.

Nott nudged the boy in his side and the traditional stoic mask fell back into place. Harry raised an eyebrow and the blonde sniffed and lifted his head arrogantly.

He could no longer restrain himself: he let out a low chuckle that quickly spread to the rest of the Slytherin Seventh Years.

Everyone in the Great Hall was stunned and stared at the silver and green table. They never saw this type of behavior from them and it scared them.

Severus glanced about the Hall and joined his House in chuckling. Everyone thought that they had no emotions and were barely even human. The sight of the feared Potions Master laughing was too much for Neville Long bottom, who promptly passed out where he was sitting. All but Albus Dumbledore were shocked by Severus's atypical outburst. Albus was merely twinkling, aware of exactly why they were laughing and glad that Harry's presence allowed the Slytherins to be more comfortable.

* * *

Violet was excited. She had never been to an Order meeting before. In fact, she would not even be at this one if the Headmaster had not insisted on her presence. 

The four Founders were dressed in casual muggle attire. It was not so surprising for the three, but to see the image of Salazar Slytherin in anything _muggle_ was startling. However, his muggle countenance was ruined by the small snake casually draped across his lap that he was absently stroking.

Silence fell amongst the crowded office as Dumbledore stood. "Thank you all for coming. The main focus this evening is not Voldemort, but the four individuals in front of us." Dumbledore paused, letting his announcement sink in. "There are several meetings recorded in my pensieve that everyone here must see. You will be going in groups of four or five. I ask you to please refrain from discussing anything that you see until everyone has had a chance to view the memories.

"The Heads of Houses have already viewed the pertinent memories, so we shall start with the Aurors and finish with the Weasleys and Potters."

Several hours had passed and Sirius was wriggling in his seat. Remus set a hand on his shoulder, but Sirius just slapped it away and continued to wriggle like a toddler who needed to use the restroom. Remus shook his head and withheld a chuckle at his friend's expense. With a sly look out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lily was having just as much trouble controlling James. Out of the group, Violet was behaving the best. She was much more interested in watching the expressions of the people as they left the pensieve. After each group returned, their faces betrayed just how mind-boggling the memories must be and what they thought of the Founders after these revelations.

Mad Eye Moody was one of the first people to enter and exit from the pensieve. He was already suspicious of the boy who was supposedly the young Salazar Slytherin before he saw the memories. However, his gaze was nothing less than hostile once he returned. It was one thing for the boy to have just completed his Mastery of the Dark Arts. But from what he gathered from the several conversations he had witnessed, these four teenagers held the complete memories of the Founders. He did not care if the boy was born as Harry James Potter. In the end, he was Salazar Slytherin, a known Dark Wizard, with all of his memories and skills.

The Weasleys were on the complete other end of the spectrum. They were in complete shock as they left the pensieve.

James, Sirius, Remus, Lily and Violet approached the pensieve. Whatever these memories showed had shocked the rest of the Order. James knew that they had something to do with them. The speculative looks that they kept passing between the Founders and his group were enough of a sign to guess that.

However, the Weasleys were not part of that group. They had been the last people to view the memories and it seemed like they were struggling to remain in their chairs and not run over and interrogate the young Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff. The boy himself seemed strained as he gazed at the red-headed family. The girl was much calmer, but she seemed to cling to the green-eyed wizard. James knew this should shock him, but it was the fact that the boy seemed to be receiving as much comfort from the grip as she was that actually puzzled him. He knew he was missing something, but at the same time, he knew that the answers lay in the silvery substance before him.

The five shared a glance across the pensieve and touched the surface before being sucked forward and disappearing into the collected memories.

* * *

The group glanced around. They were shocked to land on their front yard and into what had clearly just been a battle zone, if the unconscious bodies were anything to go by. 

The memory quickly evaporated and switched to a meeting in the very office they had just been in. They looked around and saw the four Founders seated.

They watched as the young Salazar Slytherin spoke. _"You see, my name's Harry Potter."_

"Liar!" shouted a stunned James Potter. The other four merely stood, stunned. They now knew why everyone was giving them odd looks as they exited the pensieve. Remus knew that this was likely to get worse before the memories finished.

"_My parents were killed when I was one by an evil wizard. I spent my life with my aunt and uncle in the muggle world, never knowing the truth about what happened to my parents."_

Lily was outraged. "Who would be stupid enough to leave a child with that bint! My sister isn't even fit to watch her _own_ child!"

"… _October 31, 1981. Voldemort attacked our home that night, killing my mother and father. But, when he tried to cast the Killing Curse on me, my mother's sacrifice for me caused the curse to rebound on him and thus leaving Voldemort as nothing more than a shadow."_

"Oh my God!" Lily covered her mouth with her hand. She suddenly realized why her child was left with her horrendous relatives. Only the strongest blood magic could have spared her son's life. The memory played on as she remembered that same night in their own universe. Her guilt over not being able to save her son amplified when she realized that she had done it in another.

"_Voldemort attacked your house, killing yourself and the babysitter. Voldemort never fell and has taken great delight in torturing your parents with your death."_

James was cradling Lily as she was reminded of the night that cost them their firstborn. Tears fell from her eyes. She was consumed with guilt at not being able to save her own child's life. Remus and Sirius stood off to the side, their arms around Violet. She knew that the mere day haunted her parents, but she had never heard what had happened that night in detail. Distressed, they sat there, watching the rest of the scene play out before them.

The memory finally evaporated and a new one began. This was the second meeting in the Headmaster's Office and it appeared as if the four Heads had just returned from their own pensieve journey.

_Harry gazed levelly at the Head of Slytherin, only to be met with a sneer._

James sneered back at the visage of Snape. "Hey! That's my son, you git!" He may not have cared for his son yet, but he would not tolerate that type of treatment from Snape.

"_If you've already fought and defeated You-Know-Who, why did you say that you wouldn't help us?"_

This question caught everyone's attention. James may have claimed the boy as his own moments before, but he could not imagine any child of his refusing to fight against that snake-faced monster.

"… _we just killed him barely minutes before we arrived here. I can't speak for everyone else, but I am not excited about the idea of having to do it again."_

This stunned everyone in the group. No one could believe that Voldemort was dead and this group of teenagers had managed to do it when not even Dumbledore had been able to. Lily was horrified. Her son had fought and conquered the Darkest Wizard in recent history and everyone was pressuring him to do it again. She could not believe what had happened, nor that these people would be so insensitive to his request. She knew that if she had been alive to protect him, she would never have allowed him near the battlefield, no matter the consequences.

"_You are going to help though, right?"_

"_We'll see. That's what we will be talking about tomorrow."_

"What!" Sirius and James yelled simultaneously. No one had ever heard of a Potter that had not jumped head first to defend the Light.

"_The castle unlocked our memories."_

Sirius was confused. "Memories?" Remus just shrugged in response.

Lily glanced at James, but he did not notice her. He was too focused on the drama unfolding in front of him.

"_We are the Founders, just their reincarnations."_

James sat down, staring at the scene. "My son is Salazar Slytherin," he whispered in shock. Remus and Violet seemed to be the only ones who realized the importance of this news and what it meant for the Weasleys. Sirius was stuck where James was and Lily was going into emotional overload.

Just when they thought it could not get any more complicated, Hermione continued, _"Not only are we the reincarnations of the Founders, but we also happen to be their direct descendents."_

The rest of the conversation was a blur as long buried details came to light.

"_Slytherin had two sons. … They were from the second son. As long as the eldest line remained, they would never truly be the rightful heirs. … eye color … Three generations ago, however, the last descendent from that eldest son of Salazar's was born a squib … Harry's grandparents so ecstatic that their youngest was a witch. … With that magical inheritance, she gained the distinctive emerald green eyes of a true Slytherin."_

Lily was openly weeping. All her life, she had felt guilty for excelling where her sister could not, estranging them so completely that the mere mention of the other caused a bitter taste in their mouths.

Violet could not believe her ears. She was a direct descendent of Slytherin. She was able to take some solace in this fact, as it helped explain why the Sorting Hat had had a difficult time placing her.

"… _Parseltongue gift was my own."_

"Parseltounge!" James was beginning to hyperventilate. He loved his family dearly, but he could not believe that such a Dark Wizard was born into the Potter's. This only furthered his ire at how much this news distressed his beloved Lily. He could never stand to see her in pain. He did not care if the boy was his son or Slytherin reincarnated; all that mattered was that he was the cause of his wife's tears.

The memory eventually faded and they were ejected from the pensieve.

Lily sat on the ground, still sobbing. Violet was confused and did not know how to react. She wanted to join her mother, but felt that she had no real right to be crying. She had always wanted a sibling and now she had one, but she was also forbidden from getting near the one person she wanted to.

Sirius was upset because his best friend was so hurt and confused. He did not take these things lying down and he would not start now. "You complete bastard! Who do you think you are, coming into our lives! Look what you've done to Lily!"

Harry knew that something like this was coming, but it did not stop the amount of pain he felt at the actual words. Ginny and Ron were still in their family's arms and he was left, alone, to face the recriminations of the only people he had ever wished for.

If Sirius was not bad enough, James picked up on the rant. "You are no son of mine! The Potter's are a Light family, always have been, always will be. There is no way that you are related to any of us. I never want to see you again. And I will make you regret it if you come anywhere near Violet or Lily."

Remus did not know who to go to first. Multitasking was one thing, but he only had so many hands. The boy was old enough to handle himself, so he went to comfort Lily and Violet and let the others deal with his rampaging friends.

All of these words spoke to Harry's insecurities. He refused to look anyone in the face as he struggled to replace his cold mask. He knew it would not last long. Quickly, he rose from his chair and left the office. He barely made it past the gargoyle before the tears broke through their last barrier and freely streamed down his face.

Snape stood in one fluid movement and sneered at the group of Gryffindors. "Congratulations Potter, you have now proven inept at every point in your life." With that, he swept regally out of the office and towards the dungeons.

Ginny sent a glare at the offending people and quickly rushed out of the office. She knew that Ron and Hermione could handle the rest of the meeting from there. She had more important things to do. Turning the corner, she rushed down an empty hallway and threw the door of the girls' bathroom open. With a brief wave of her hand over an unremarkable spot in the wall, the sink ground open to let her pass.

**

* * *

A/N: Long wait, I know. However, this story is much more complex than Bloodshed. The cross-referencing never ended. But the good news is that at least I took the time to actually write another story. I think I have a good idea for where Bloodshed is going and I have this entire story planned. So there will be more updates. Have no fear. **


	9. Lack of Family

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously: _

_Ginny sent a glare at the offending people and quickly rushed out of the office. She knew that Ron and Hermione could handle the rest of the meeting from there. She had more important things to do. Turning the corner, she rushed down an empty hallway and threw the door of the girls' bathroom open. With a brief wave of her hand over an unremarkable spot in the wall, the sink ground open to let her pass._

**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Lack of Family **

Harry was beyond upset. Unlike Ron, he did not have the emotional range of a teaspoon. He did not know whether to be sad or angry, so he settled for a mixture of both. However, he was most upset with himself. These people were not his real family; his real family was dead in his home dimension. But, for some reason, he could not convince his heart of this.

He had only been in the training room for ten minutes and it already looked like a war zone. The most effective way to burn off his negative emotions was to funnel them into large bursts of Dark Arts. Conjured dummies littered the stone floor. They were covered in burns and slices. Several were nothing more than a pile of ashes. More mangled dummies were lying in a corner; it was unclear which pieces belonged to which.

Gathering his energy once again, he concentrated on all of the anger he felt at being rejected for something he had no control over. Since the night he survived the Killing Curse, he was destined to become a Dark Wizard. After all, only Dark Wizards could utilize Parselmagic. With a rush of air he hissed out a spell. The sickly yellow light exploded out of his wand and sped towards the dummy he had most recently conjured. It struck it in the torso and vanished for a split second before it imploded, the body shrinking in on itself and expelling the air that had been trapped inside of the hollow body.

Sensing a presence behind him, Harry whirled around, wand at the ready.

Ginny raised her hands in supplication. "It's just me."

Harry released the breath he had inhaled to incant the first spell on his tongue. Considering what he had just been practicing, it was lucky that he had stopped; otherwise, he would have been rushing his girlfriend to Madame Pomphrey for blood restoratives before she bled out. "Merlin Ginny! You know better than to come in here when the door's shut."

Ginny blushed at her idiocy, but quickly diverted the conversation back to the reason she was there in the first place. "Look, they don't know you. All they know is that you are the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin and you're from a different dimension. They do not know about the Dursleys or your constant battles with Voldemort. There is no way they could understand what their rejection truly means to you without knowing your past."

The dark-haired wizard sat down on the edge of the dueling platform and looked up at the girl he nearly gave his life for several times and would gladly do so again for. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to share some of your memories with your parents."

"No. Absolutely not."

"If you want them to accept you for who you are, you have no other choice."

"I've hardly had a happy life, Ginny. I'm sure you just want to show the parents you've been longing for you whole life how a Dark Lord was after your blood and your only 'safe haven' was with an abusive uncle and neglectful aunt. Oh yes, I'm sure that will give them _exactly_ the image I want them to have."

Ginny truly hated his Slytherin side sometimes. His sarcasm was just as bad as Snape's and it was only exacerbated by the amount of time they spent together. "It's better than the Dark Lord image you have now."

Harry leveled an intense emerald green glare at the red head. "What did you say?" he whispered.

Ginny knew that she had over-stepped her bounds; but this was too important to his future happiness to let it go. "You come in as your alter ego, with a snake on your arm and profess your mastery of the Dark Arts. What do you expect them to think? The mere way you carry yourself in public makes everyone know how powerful you are."

"I'm playing my past self for the _entire_ Wizarding World. If I act any differently, they'll know something is up. And I have no intention of letting the Voldemort here know anything remotely close to the truth."

"I'm not asking you to!" Ginny was losing her temper with the stubborn teen. "I just want you to realize why they were acting the way they were."

"So you think James was right in saying what he said?" Harry felt that he was being deliberately obtuse, but the way this argument was going, he did not care.

"AARGH! NO! That's not what I said at all. If you are _so _determined to sulk and be in a bad mood, _fine_!" Ginny's hair was lifting slightly, as if she was charged with static electricity. Harry knew that he had pushed her too far, but his past was an extremely sore topic for him, one that he would rather forget completely. "But I _swear_, Harry James Potter, when James and Sirius start treating you like shit out of ignorance, don't come crying or sulking to me. If you do, you'll find out just why Fred and George fear my bat bogey hex."

Ginny slammed the door shut behind her. She loved the man fiercely, but he was more stubborn than any Weasley male. It was probably the reason he was the only boyfriend she had dated that would put up with her own bull-headedness. She knew that she had won the argument; she just had to wait for Harry to realize it. In the meanwhile, she decided to go to the other side of the Chamber and inspect the four guest rooms.

Harry slumped on the podium. He hated fighting with people he cared about. The problem was that he knew she was right. But sharing such intimate memories was completely out of character for him. He was a private person, and for good reason. Harry struggled with his natural instincts to conceal all but what was necessary and the hope that had flared in his chest the moment he had heard that his parents were alive in this dimension. Sighing, he knew he would give anything for just one chance to have a real family again.

* * *

Ginny cradled the small pensieve to her chest. It was not nearly as bulky as the one the Headmaster owned, which enabled her to safely carry it through the twisting hallways and stairways of the castle. However, it was only thanks to her Quidditch skills that she managed to hold on to it and keep the contents from spilling out when she ran full speed into another person heading in the opposite direction. 

Ginny did not care who it was. She was too deep in her mental berating of the two men who had caused Harry's anguish. No matter the logical argument she had given her boyfriend, she knew that James Potter and Sirius Black had no real right to yell at Harry and deny any relation. Sirius had always been impulsive and had a tendency to lash out at anyone that harmed his friends in any way. She even understood that James was blaming Harry for his wife's tears. But, instead of calming Lily down first and determining the problem, he let his own prejudices take control and injure the one person who needed their support the most. If they had thought she would let them off so easily just because she was the reincarnation of Helga Hufflepuff, they were sorely mistaken. She would show them all why their mascot and her animagus form was a badger.

"Would you watch where you are going? Or are you completely blind to anyone except yourself?" the red head snarled at the mysterious offender. She mentally winced at how caustic she sounded. Spending so much time around Slytherins did not help contain her bad temperament at the moment; it only made it more biting.

"It appears as if Salazar was right. There _is_ more to Hufflepuffs than blind loyalty and devotion."

Ginny closed her eyes slowly; she did not know how Harry was able to stand the man that owned that distinctive silky baritone. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded mocking and superior. Harry could effectively convey the same tone with his voice and body language as well; but the Potions Master never seemed to drop the attitude everyone but Slytherins seemed to loathe.

"May I ask where you are heading in such an obvious temper with such a precious object?" The man stepped backwards slightly, giving Ginny more room to maneuver around him and increasing her comfort levels ten-fold.

Gritting her teeth, she replied, "To neuter two obstinate Marauders."

This seemed to completely alter Snape's attitude. His onyx eyes took on a twinkle that reminded her of a twisted and Dark version of Dumbledore. The malicious glee that was obvious on the Slytherin's face sent cold shivers down her spine.

With an expression somewhere between a smirk and a smile, Severus bowed to Ginny. "Then by all means, do not let me stop you, my Lady."

Ginny watched as the man swept down the corridor. Before he was out of sight, she called to him, "Harry's in the training room working off some of his mood. I would suggest knocking before entering, though."

The dark figure paused momentarily before veering to the right and down several stairs that would take him to Myrtle's bathroom.

Sighing slightly, Ginny set the pensieve more snuggly in her arms and proceeded up the staircase, her previous temper coming back full force as she refocused on her goal.

* * *

The gargoyle jumped aside when it saw Ginny making her way towards the entrance to the Headmaster's Office. He knew about Helga's temper and clearly remembered being blasted apart several times when Salazar had hidden in his office to escape her wrath. He had quickly learned that it was much safer to brave Godric and Rowena together than to get in the fiery woman's path. 

Ginny walked into a heated argument. Ron and Hermione had taken the Order, and particularly the Marauders, to task. The Weasleys seemed to be bursting with pride at Ron's attitude and concurrently berating the Potters.

The office was blanketed in silence as Ginny broke through the crowd and set the small pensieve down hard on Dumbledore's desk. Several small, silver trinkets clattered to the ground and rolled across the stone floor.

She swirled around and glared at the offenders. "I have had it with your superior attitude. You act as if having a Potter proficient in the Dark Arts is a sin against humanity; yet your best friend is a Dark Wizard himself.:" At this statement, Ginny gave Sirius a scathing look. Sirius shrank back from the fierce redhead's look and grimaced at the reminder of his natural inclinations. "You have no concept of what he has been through in his short seventeen years, so don't presume to judge him!" Ginny paused briefly, before continuing in a much calmer voice, "However, I have managed to persuade Harry into allowing you four to see enough for you to have a better idea of his motivations and who he _is_."

James and Sirius seemed indignant at the way this girl was talking down to them. But they had learned, after years of dealing with Lily's temper, that it was safer to keep their mouths shut, whether or not they actually listened to what she was saying.

When James and Sirius had not made any move towards the pensieve, Ginny rolled her eyes and determinedly approached the two middle-aged miscreants. James flinched; he had seen that look before, usually when he was about to be sentenced to a week of sleeping on the couch.

Without any more ado, Ginny grabbed the two men by their collars and hauled them to Dumbledore's desk. No more persuasion was needed—they dutifully touched the silvery fluid and entered the memories. Remus and Lily followed calmly behind, trailed by Violet.

Before the girl could get any farther, Ginny set a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her head. "This is not something you should see."

The young redhead glanced up incredulously, "He's my brother. I've always wanted a chance to get to know him."

"I know. But trust me. It would be better if you leaned about him the normal way. Your parents, however, are much more skeptical and need this to get past their prejudices."

Violet was obviously dissatisfied with this answer, but she knew that Ginny would not let her see the memories, no matter what her argument was. However, if these memories were as potent as they were being made out to be, she would not have to worry about sneaking around the castle to have a five minute conversation with her long dead brother. Violet sighed and sat back down in her seat. One way or the other, she would find out more about her mysterious brother. It would not do her any harm to wait to find out what her parents' reactions were first. Of course, no matter what they said, she would get to know him, even if she had to sneak around behind their backs for the rest of the year. With that determined, a steely resolve entered her hazel eyes and she straightened her back as she watched her mother, her Uncle Remus and Ginny enter the pensieve together.

* * *

It was dark. The five spectators felt crammed together; as if there was no space to move. Small sniffles broke the silence. 

Remus wrinkled his brow in confusion. He glanced at his friends and noticed that they were all just as perplexed as he was. The only one who was not, was Ginny. Instead, she looked as if she was struggling not to burst into tears.

The door behind them burst open and light flooded into the cupboard. The four adults gasped in shock as they saw the form of a very small child laying, curled up on his side, bruised and flinching away from the light. They watched in horror as the beefy man proceeded to yell at the obviously traumatized child.

"BOY! If I have to hear your pathetic sniveling any longer, you won't be awake to make any more noise. Am I clear!" Spittle flew from his mouth. If they had not been insubstantial, they would have been hit by the disgusting liquid.

The small, black-haired boy nodded and curled further into himself.

Ginny turned to look at the four horrified adults. "When you both died, he was sent to live with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle, Vernon Dursley. It was supposed to protect him from Death Eaters that were still on the loose and any wizards that went looking for him. However, the wards never spared him from his own family."

The five spectators turned back to watch the heart-breaking scene as the four year old held his hand over his mouth to muffle his own sounds of suffering. The image slowly faded out as another took its place.

Harry was still small, but he was clearly several years older. His eyes were a deeper shade of emerald and showed how disillusioned he had become in his short years of life. Compared to any normal child, his size suggested that he could only be five. However, his eyes were those of an older man who had seen to much pain and death. James and Sirius had seen the exact expression on several older war veterans that had been spiritually broken. Fresh bruises littered his face and arms.

A horse-faced woman was shrieking in the kitchen. Harry slowly made his way to the pristine kitchen with a noticeable limp. "Yes, Aunt Petunia?"

"You will make breakfast and not burn _anything_. It's Dudley's first day of second grade and I will not have you ruining it for him." With that, she grabbed his already injured arm and hauled him over to the stove and the footstool in front of it.

It was clear that he had learned his lesson about making any complaints about the pain he was in. Even though he grimaced and wrenched his eyes shut, no tears escaped his eyes and no sound escaped his mouth.

Lily covered her mouth. She knew that her sister held a bitter grudge against her, but she could never have guessed that she would be so cruel to an innocent child. The boy was so strong and brave, yet he had the survival instincts of a Slytherin beaten into him from a very young age. She knew that her son would need as much love and support as he could after seeing the life that he had led. This thought, however, led her to the disturbing realization that he should have been placed in Sirius's care. The bond between a godfather and their godchild was stronger than that of blood. The chosen adult held a sacred role in the molding of the child's life that should have superceded any benefits that a blood protection ward based on a hateful and vengeful relationship would have had.

A quizzical look on her face, she turned to ask her son's girlfriend the reasoning behind Dumbledore's choice of guardian, only to find herself being critically inspected by the younger woman. Slightly startled, she persisted, "I realize that blood protection is a strong ward against enemies, but what happened to Sirius? As much as it pains me to say, he would have been an infinitely better choice than my twisted sister."

Ginny looked at them all uncomfortably. Finally, she sighed and recounted the reason, "You see, when the Potter's were murdered, Sirius went after Pettigrew. But, everyone thought that Sirius was your Secret Keeper and Pettigrew played to that. He blew up the street and killed thirteen muggles, claiming that Sirius was the real traitor. Needless to say, Sirius was taken to Azkaban without a trial."

Sirius was openly gaping at the girl. "What? They did find out the truth though, right? Pettigrew did go to jail and I was cleared, right?"

"Well … you escaped after twelve and a half years. Harry, Hermione and Ron all found out about your innocence in their Third Year, and eventually the news filtered to the rest of the Order. But, no, you were never declared innocent."

Shocked silence followed this statement. However, this silence was broken by a loud crash. Their attention immediately swiveled back to the young Harry who had been standing over the stove. Bacon was scattered all over the floor and he was holding his ankle tenderly.

"How dare you! Look what you've done you little _freak_," Petunia hissed. "Get up off of that floor."

Harry shrank back in fear, but only managed to set his hand in the hot grease.

Petunia took one step, reached down and grabbed him by his injured wrist. Harry struggled to keep up as she dragged him out of the kitchen. In one fluid motion, she wrenched the cupboard door open with one hand and threw the little boy inside with the other.

Harry trembled and curled up in a ball to protect himself.

"Just you wait until Vernon comes home you little _freak_. This day was supposed to be special for Dudley and you _ruined_ it."

All five of the spectators were heartbroken to hear the young Harry Potter whispering in the darkness, "Why did you leave me here Mum? Was I not good enough for you? I guess I _am_ just a worthless freak." The soft voice trailed off into silent sobs. The adults did not even notice the darkness shifting about them until they heard another yell break the silence.

"Ginny! Ginny … don't be dead … please don't be dead …" (1)

They all swiveled to look at the Ginny Weasley standing next to them, only to find her staring mindlessly further down the hall they had landed in with tears running down her cheeks. "No one had taken any notice of me my First Year. I was merely another number, lost in a sea of students. And even though he didn't know anything about me, other than I was his friend's little sister, he still came and saved my life against all odds."

It was clear that this memory was one of the defining moments in both Harry and Ginny's lives. They merely watched as both of the children lost a large amount of their innocence to Tom Riddle. It was tragic to watch a naïve little girl be tortured and possessed for the gain of an insubstantial memory. But the loss of Harry's innocence was even more difficult to watch as he had had so little of it to begin with because of the Dursley's.

Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed – but Harry understood what he was saying. The words sounded like English in the memory.

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."_ (2)

Hearing Parseltongue was usually an unnerving experience. But it became more obvious why the speakers shrugged the ability off.

The massive basilisk that exited from the statue's mouth was perhaps the single most frightening creature any of them had seen; and that included the werewolf that bit Remus.

There was no way that a Second Year, with no wand, could defeat such a beast; yet Ginny assured them that he did.

The next creature that entered the Chamber just caused more confusion. Fawkes dropped the Sorting Hat at the boy's feet. But the most perplexing was that the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin pulled _Gryffindor's _sword from it.

"From what I understand, Godric decided to hide his sword in the Hat. I'll never understand his logic, but he though he was brilliant." Ginny shook her head. "Sal's sword is actually somewhere in this Chamber. He's never told me where."

The Marauders shrugged. Sirius, though, seemed to like the idea of storing something in a hat. "Well, unless you were really Gryffindor or in need of the sword, then no one would be able to get it. It makes more sense then stashing it in your room."

Remus looked at the man, incredulously. "And the fact that you have to be a Parselmouth to get to those rooms has obviously slipped your mind."

"Well, I can't really do that; but I _can_ hide something in a hat."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and refocused on the memory.

Everyone was in awe. Every hiss that came from the basilisk sounded as if it were in English. But the simple repetitiveness of what she said suggested that the serpent was either incredibly stupid or under the Imperius Curse.

Ginny tore her eyes from the sight of a twelve-year old Harry trying to get as far away from the deadly fangs as possible. "From what Harry has told me, most snakes are very intelligent. One of the most irritating things he does is when Sylvia and him decide to hold a late night conversation while everyone else is trying to sleep." Ginny paused briefly before continuing, "Which means that Tom is controlling the basilisk and corrupting an ancient protection that Salazar left behind for the school's safety."

Remus, Lily, James and Sirius took a moment to let this sink in, but they did not have long before the battle moved back to the main Chamber. They watched in silent awe as the small Second Year stabbed the giant serpent through the roof of her mouth with Gryffindor's sword.

Tears streamed down all of the observers' faces as they watched Harry instruct Ginny to leave and the basilisk venom quickly ate away his remaining minutes.

Just as Harry appeared to give up, the elegant phoenix returned to his side and cried onto the devastating wound. With a small sizzle, the tears repaired the damage from the venom and the bite itself. Harry had barely escaped with his life; but in return he gained a life-long friend and later, girlfriend.

A high, cold laugh pierced the night. It sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter? We bow to each other, Harry. Come, the niceties must be observed … Dumbledore would like you to show manners … Bow to Death Harry." (3)

The twisted mockery of a fair duel played out with Harry suffering under the Cruciatus and the Imperius. The more Harry defied the snake-like man, the more the duel devolved into a lethal game of hide-and-seek. The boy hid behind a tombstone and gathered his courage.

He leapt from his hiding spot and yelled, _"Expelliaramus!"_

Voldemort echoed his incantation with his own, _"Avada Kedavra!"_

The lights of the two spells collided in mid-air and connected. The two forced power and determination into their spells and a golden web spun around the two combatants. The four automatically looked to Ginny for an explanation.

"Brother wands. Both Harry's and Voldemort's wand cores are a feather from Fawkes. Needless to say, it prevents them from properly fighting each other, as you can see."

They watched the battle of wills for a moment before James asked, "How did they end up with matched wands?"

Ginny sighed. "We're not sure about that. Though we do have several theories. Both of them had similar childhoods and from what Harry has explained, the only reason he did not let the Sorting Hat place him in Slytherin was because he had had such a poor impression of it. Hagrid told him about Voldemort. Then, he met Draco Malfoy in Madam Malkin's and he was so spoiled that he reminded Harry of Dudley. And, of course, his first friend was Ron, who told him that all Dark Wizards came from Slytherin.

"But that's only one theory." Ginny paused momentarily as the shadows of James and Lily burst from Voldemort's wand. "The other prominent theory is that both of them have survived death, which is heavily symbolized by the phoenix. Voldemort's mother lived only long enough to name him. From what we've discovered about his past, he very nearly died himself shortly after he was born because he was born so early. You already know about the Killing Curse on Harry. And that's not counting all of their near death experiences after they received their wands. However, it does not explain _why_ their cores are from Fawkes."

They were left in contemplative silence as they watched Harry's mad dash to the Tri-Wizard Cup and Cedric's body.

Ginny cringed as the next memory cycled into view. "The Department of Mysteries."

Lily spun to face the younger woman. "What!"

Ginny blushed. "Voldemort sent Harry a false vision and he thought that Sirius was in trouble. So, six of us broke into the Department of Mysteries in search of him."

James and Sirius had maniacal grins on their faces. Remus was clearly struggling to not show his pride in the Marauder-style antics.

The door to the Death Chamber burst open, allowing a bleeding Neville and a panting Harry into the room, followed by several irate Death Eaters.

Suddenly, the room was flooded with both Death Eaters and Order members. Harry and Neville worked their way up the stairs, but the prophecy fell from Neville's grasp and broke on the stone. They watched the scene slightly detached. They had all been in battles like this, but they knew that something significant was about to happen.

Insane laughter bubbled up from the center of the room. James was force to restrain his best friend as he lost his temper at the sight of his insane cousin. But, nothing prepared them for what happened next. With a well-aimed shot, Bellatrix knocked Sirius off-balance and he toppled through the veil.

Harry struggled viciously with Remus to get to the raised dais in the middle of the room. "There's nothing you can do, Harry … nothing … He's gone." (4)

Those silent, but strong words faded to a whisper and echoed in the minds of the living Marauders. They knew that Harry must have loved Sirius as a father and was forced to watch yet another parent die.

Brilliant yellow and orange flames were spewing from the shattered windows of the large, two-story house. Soot was staining the white siding a deep black. Smoke billowed from the hot fire, choking the horrified spectators. Screams could be heard in the background.

A young woman was tugging impotently against a raven-haired man of the same age. "Let me go! My parents are in there!"

"'Mione, 'Mione, they're gone. We were too late," he whispered into her ear.

"No!" she screamed, tears pouring down her soot-covered face.

The Dark Mark glowed a sinister green above the house, the smoke causing it to waver and shimmer mockingly above the destroyed home and family.

It was obvious that this must have been Hermione Granger's family that had been targeted, but it was a common enough sight and no one was particularly close to the young Ravenclaw. Unlike in the Heirs' home dimension, she never grew close to the Weasleys and never became a figure in the war against Voldemort. She was a muggleborn and was targeted for that fact, but there was no reason for the Death Eaters to single her family out like they had obviously done so in this memory.

They found themselves on a hill that they all knew well. Ginny sat down and refused to watch the scene that still gave her nightmares. Lily moved over to offer her silent support and Ginny gratefully leaned against her legs.

The Burrow was completely leveled. Garden gnomes were running about in the garden adding to the chaos. Ron and Hermione were helping the Weasley Twins move debris in a frantic search for their parents.

Harry and Ginny separated from the main group and moved to the back of the house. There, hanging from a gnarled tree, were the burnt out bodies of Molly and Arthur Weasley, their screams permanently frozen on their faces. Written in blood beneath their feet were the words: THUS ALWAYS TO BLOOD TRAITORS.

Remus barely managed to keep from throwing up. Sirius had turned his face from the scene straight out of a horror story. Guilt flashed across his features. He knew it was something his cousin and her husband would have taken great delight in doing. James had moved over to Lily and refused to let her look at anything other than Ginny or himself.

They forced themselves not to listen to the horrified gasps and wailing coming from the memory. After agonizing moments, it finally faded to black and deposited them into the last memory the small pensieve contained.

But, their relief was short-lived. They found themselves on the edge of the Quidditch pitch. Spells were flying everywhere. The sickly green of the Avada Kedavra curse flew indiscriminately from both sides. A little ahead of them, they saw the four teenagers in all of their glory, fighting as a very lethal unit.

Their destination was obvious. Lord Voldemort stood arrogantly on the knoll, watching his followers battle the Order and Aurors that were attempting to defend the school. Ron, Hermione and Ginny all stood slightly behind Harry as they made their way forward. They stopped a distance from the Dark Lord and formed a circle, all of them facing outwards with Harry at the North, glaring directly at Voldemort.

They watched in awe as the four began a low chant ad a glowing circle formed in the grass beneath their feet. Power swirled madly about them. A hooded Death Eater broke free from the surrounding battle and sprinted towards the growing threat. When it became clear that he would never make it in time to stop whatever it was the four were doing, he hurled the Killing Curse directly at Harry.

Out of nowhere, a body flung itself in between the curse and the young man. The force threw him backwards to land, lifelessly, at the feet of Harry Potter. The head lolled slightly to the side and gave them a clear view into the dead face of Remus Lupin.

The image swirled gently about them one final time and they were gently deposited back into the Office. The shock of everything they had seen was too much for them as they collapsed at the foot of Dumbledore's desk.

Ginny quickly collected herself and went to stand beside her brother. Ron and Hermione surrounded her on either side and wrapped her their arms.

James held his wife as she sobbed out her frustrations over the life her little boy had been forced to endure. Tears rolled gently down his cheeks as he realized just how hurtful he had been to his own son.

A look passed between the rest of the Order, and they all resolved to support the four dimension travelers.

* * *

The entrance to the Chamber was just as disturbing as Snape remembered it to be. Small bones crunched beneath his boots as he approached the next seal. Gentle tendrils of magic wrapped themselves around his aura before retreating back into the seal. A low groaning noise accompanied the opening of the doorway. 

The moment he entered the main Chamber, he could tell that Harry had been working on further shoring up the wards. The steady drip that had been persistent throughout his last visit was gone and the stones were the same light gray as the rest of the castle instead of the dark gray and green mixture predominant in the moldy mess they had been. Water was relegated to the sides of the walkway as large reflection pools. The erosion caused from centuries of water exposure had been repaired; and the paint on the snake statues had returned them to their former glory.

Snape carefully followed the path he had taken the last time he had been in the Chamber and quickly located the lightly glowing door that led to the training room. Severus gave two hard knocks before gingerly prying the door open. The sight before him was stunning.

Harry had stopped throwing curses and had moved on to physically demolishing the dummies. His graceful, lithe form danced across the room as he attacked the animated dummies. Severus watched in amazement. He was one of the best duelers on either side of the war, but Harry's talent seemed to far surpass his own. He waited silently until Harry felled his last assailant before moving fully into the room.

The movement in his peripheral vision startled Harry. He spun on his heel and reflexively threw one of his daggers. The moment he recognized the intruder, he stopped himself from throwing the second dagger. Harry watched in morbid fascination as the 25 centimeter dagger sped at Severus's throat.

With a quick flick of his wand, Snape conjured a thick piece of lumber in the projectile's path. The dagger embedded itself halfway into the wood with a resonating thunk. Snape let the two fall to the floor and sneered at Harry.

"Considering you repertoire of spells and your obvious talents, I would have that you were at least capable of stopping a dagger that _you_ threw."

Harry paused momentarily and shook his head, bringing himself back into focus. "Perhaps I just wished to remove your vocal chords, thus sparing us your vitriol."

Snape smirked in good humor. "I'm sure that would be widely appreciated."

Harry merely chuckled in response. Casually removing his weaponry, he walked to the back of the room and placed them in the weapons rack. His right hand grabbed a white hand towel that hung from one of the clasps. He deftly wiped his face dry and drug the cloth over his damp arms.

"I see you've been at this for awhile." Severus glanced at the piled up bodies in the corner. "Dark Arts?"

Harry nodded. "It's the best way to burn off anger"

Severus hummed in the back of his throat. "I've heard fables since I was little about Salazar Slytherin's talent in Dark Arts. It makes me wonder how much you managed to retain after your reincarnation."

Harry smirked. "How about you find out," he gestured to the circular dueling stand.

Snape nodded once, then gracefully mounted the platform. "It would be my pleasure."

**

* * *

A/N: I'm SO sorry about the long wait. But, you got an extra long chapter for your patience! There have been several statements about how much of a jerk James is. I definitely agree … to a point. I hope that this chapter helped clarify his reactions a little bit more. However, if it hasn't, I have included my reasoning for his harsh statements below.**

**Ever since his son died, the Dark Lord has taken vicious pleasure in taunting him and Lily with it and the fact that they could not protect him. His greatest wish is that he had been able to see his son grow up and that his wife would not be in so much pain from the memory and that Violet would have had an older brother to look out for her. The people he cares most for in the world are Lily and Violet and he will do anything in his power to protect them from any kind of hurt. When he saw Lily crying in the pensieve, all he could think about was that someone had hurt her and that person was going to pay for toying with her emotions. He had also created an image of what his son would be if he had the chance to grow up and the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin was as far from that image as possible. So, when he came out of the pensieve and his wife was an emotional mess, all he could think about was lashing out at this imposter that dared torment his family with memories of the past that they have been trying to bury for the better part of two decades. So, yes, he is a jerk to Harry, but he has his reasons for it. After all, he _is_ a Gryffindor who acts before he thinks things through. ;)**

**I hope this helps those of you who had some difficulties believing that James could be so hurtful to his long lost son. **

**-Tammy**

**Citations:**

**_Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets _p. 307**

**_Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ p. 317**

**_Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ p. 659-660**

**_Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ p. 806**


	10. The Definition of Alternate

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously: _

_Severus hummed in the back of his throat. "I've heard fables since I was little about Salazar Slytherin's talent in Dark Arts. It makes me wonder how much you managed to retain after your reincarnation."_

_Harry smirked. "How about you find out," he gestured to the circular dueling stand._

_Snape nodded once, then gracefully mounted the platform. "It would be my pleasure."_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Definition of Alternate**

Harry mounted the circular dueling platform and lowered his eyes in the barest of nods. The gesture was reflected by Snape, causing his hair to swing forward ever-so-slightly.

In a split second, they shifted into their dueling stances. Cautiously circling each other, wands at the ready, they formulated their battle plans. Harry knew that Snape was typically an offensive fighter. He struck with no warning, hard and fast. But Harry was an unknown quantity to the man, which could lead to more diversionary tactics to begin with, then blending with his normal dueling style.

Snape knew that Salazar preferred using parselmagic. It was incomprehensible to the opponent and the spell signature was entirely different from traditional magic or the Dark Arts. But this person lived a life _defending_ people. From the brief portion he had seen of the practice session, he could tell that he fought on instinct, merely reacting to the environment around him. It would make his movements nearly impossible to predict without having dueled him before. Snape's eyes hardened as he settled on his plan.

Harry had to stifle a smirk. He had seen that glint many times in the past. It preceded many things, but all of them were painful for the person on the receiving end … no mercy.

With the slightest twitch of his wand, Harry sent the first spell. Severus side-stepped the dark purple curse and began his barrage. Harry threw up a dome-like shield to take the brunt of the attack. He had hoped Severus would tire out, but the man was using low-level spells to preserve his strength. Quickly canceling the shield, Harry rolled out of the way of the incoming spells. With a sharp jab and a hissed, "_Slice!_", Harry shot a neon yellow spell at his dueling partner.

Severus refused to take a chance with the unknown spell. He threw up a general _Protego_ shield and moved to the side, just in case the shield did not hold and there was a larger impact zone than the targeted area.

Harry smirked and quickly threw a concussion hex at the floor beneath Severus's feet. The shockwaves threw the taller man backwards. He landed hard on his back. He rolled to his left, barely missing a royal purple spell that left a white fire burning on the spot where it landed. Twisting to his knees, Snape sent off a wordless nervous-system shock spell, its vibrant red signature nearly matched that of the Cruciatus Curse.

Harry's eyes widened as he threw himself out of the way of the seemingly indefensible curse. He was in minor shock, thinking that his dueling partner would dare cast an Unforgivable in a friendly duel. In the time it took Harry to come to his senses, Severus used the opportunity to snap out two more medium-level spells.

The emerald-eyed boy conjured a familiar looking silver shield. The spells reflected off of the magically-impervious material and flew to the edges of the platform. The silver and brown spells hit the protective wards surrounding the stage. The wards flashed, briefly, as the new magic was incorporated into them. As the momentary panic receded, Harry realized the ploy for what it was. It was impossible to cast the Cruciatus Curse wordlessly. Snape had thrown him off-balance long enough to get back on his feet and ready to defend himself once again.

Snape raised one sardonic eyebrow in challenge. Harry gave a feral grin and increased the intensity of his casting. Severus was prepared for the first few spells, but his ability to defend against such high-level spells for a length of time was weakening him. His shield faltered, then fizzled completely out of existence as the next beam of light made contact with his defense. In the split-second between spells, Severus fell to one knee and let the next one fly over his head.

Harry had built up momentum and rhythm, so when the shield finally fell, he was not completely prepared. The next spell had already left his wand with a vicious swing. Hastily tossing up a shield, he deflected Severus's next spell, but the angle was off and caught Harry's arm. He hissed through his teeth as blood dribbled down his bicep, but he merely shifted the shield to a more appropriate angle.

Severus regained his balance, but he was still sweating profusely. Harry knew he had to finish quickly before the man could get a second wind. Dropping his shaky shield, he cast a sonic blast, forcing the Potions Master to cover his ears. Taking advantage of the situation, Harry rushed forward and struck the man hard, in the temple.

Snape crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Harry deftly relieved him of his wand before _Ennervating_ the fallen man. Severus groaned as he came back to consciousness. The hook-nosed man sneered at the smirking Harry above him. Harry offered his hand, which Snape gracefully accepted, and pulled his friend up.

Both men were breathing heavily. With a tilt of his head, Harry indicated that Severus should follow him to the back wall. He grabbed two towels and tossed one to Snape. The silence was only marred by erratic breathing.

Eventually, they had both recovered enough energy to continue on with their days. Harry spoke first, "So, did I measure up to your childhood fantasies? Or must I _Obliviate_ this entire duel from your mind to keep your respect?"

Severus shook his head. "It was exhilarating."

As they reached the warded doors, Harry blithely mentioned, "You know, if you're ever too tired to make it back to your room after a practice session, you are more than welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms."

Snape arched one eyebrow. "That is very generous of you." He paused briefly, "What is the catch?"

Harry gave a lop-sided grin. "Oh, nothing much. You just have to clean it up and decorate it yourself."

Snape grimaced. He remembered the mess that he had helped Lord Slytherin clean up in his own bedchambers. He could not imagine that the guest rooms would be any better. In fact, he was sure that they would be worse. It was doubtful that any furniture could be spared in those rooms and the mold would be stifling.

"I suppose Lady Hufflepuff has already claimed a room."

Harry merely nodded in response. Her guest room was for Ron's peace of mind more than anything else.

They had made their way back to the Main Chamber. Severus was still impressed by the grandeur of the restored Entrance Hall. The lingering decay had vanished and revealed a truly elegant room, as long as the admirer did not have an aversion to snakes.

Severus paid more attention when they entered the tunnel that Sesha had left through. The stones here were still damp and the floor was completely smooth from the giant serpent gliding through it to go hunting in the Forbidden Forest. However, instead of following the worn pathway further, they turned right into a connecting tunnel. The ceilings in this section were only nine feet tall, two feet shorter than the entry tunnel. Four large oaken doors stood on the left side of the hallway. They were generously spaced apart, suggesting that the rooms behind them were large, but not grandiose.

The doors were ornately carved. However, the snakes that had been so predominant throughout the rest of the Chamber were missing. The first door they passed depicted an epic battle between goblins and wizards, if Severus was right, the battle took place in 943 A.D. It was the battle that initially brought the goblins under wizard control. The ancient goblins were complete opposites to their modern counterparts. They were blood thirsty and gleefully attacked any being that crossed their path. The founding of Gringott's Bank was by a wizard who had made a deal with the goblins. After they lost most of their freedoms, the opportunity to guard such an important structure mollified their wounded pride. It was truly an influential moment in history and a favorite subject for artisans to depict in sculpture, painting, tapestries and other media.

Harry noticed Snape's intense scrutiny of the doors. "Don't worry about the doors _too_ much. The rooms are nearly identical on the interior. I had the doors commissioned by an artisan in Hogsmeade, and he decided what to put on them."

Snape gave a nod and stepped back from the carving. "Which room has Lady Hufflepuff chosen?"

Harry gave the man a side-long glance. "The room at the end. The carving is of the unicorns in the Forbidden Forest."

Severus gave a disgusted snort.

Harry grinned. "Don't think that she chose that room just for the pretty carving. The scene is that of a magical commune between the unicorns."

Snape nearly swallowed his tongue. He had never heard of _anyone_ being allowed to watch such a sacred moment. The amount of pure magic flowing into the area was supposed to cause a euphoric state described in most texts as "as close to Nirvana a human could ever get." With barely concealed enthusiasm, he walked to the end of the row of doors and gazed upon the intricate and life-like scene. Five unicorns stood in a semi-circle, their horns touching in the center. Severus looked closer and saw a diamond embedded in the door. It sparkled at the exact point where the five horns converged. Gently, he brushed a finger over the jewel and he felt a whisper of magic race up his arm. He blinked and the entire door glittered with hundreds of golden lights that looked like fireflies on a summer's night.

Harry chuckled at the scene before him. If anyone had told him that _Snape_, bane-of-all-that-is-good, would be awed by a herd of unicorns, he would have had them committed to St. Mungo's. The Potions Master startled at the deep laughter and quickly moved away from the captivating carving. He briskly ran a hand over his black robes and sniffed in apparent disdain for something so … sweet.

"Well, I suppose I'll take the first room. Such history is rarely truly appreciated." With that, the dark man moved back towards the room he had just claimed as his and grasped the solid door knob. Stealing himself for utter disaster, he thrust the door open and stepped back to allow the stagnant and heavy air escape.

The mess was noticeable, but not nearly as horrendous as Severus had imagined. The walls were damp and mildew-encrusted, but the air did not have the same oppressive feel that he remembered from his first excursion to Salazar's Chamber.

"I have completed all of the re-warding. So the clean up should be much simpler in comparison. You are more than welcome to decorate as you see fit."

Harry allowed the stoic man to enter the bedroom. All of the furnishings would have to be replaced. But there was enough wall space to install additional bookshelves. He had some spare shelving that could be installed almost immediately and several books he knew the Headmaster would not approve of. Nodding to himself, he walked through the room, mentally cataloguing everything he would need to make it habitable.

It did not take long until Snape signaled that he was ready to leave. The two men walked silently together and exited the Chamber and made their way to their separate destinations. Severus silently stalked back to the dungeons.

Harry turned and decided to visit Ginny's chambers. He had no intention of letting his memories be viewed by anyone else. Hopefully, she had managed to accomplish whatever it was she was hoping for.

He would not deny that he longed for their acceptance, but it would not be the first time family of his rejected him. As it stood now, he would return back to their world with no regrets; but if he knew he had his fantasy here, he did not know if he could bear to tear himself away from this universe.

Harry entered the Entrance Hall and made his way towards the opposite staircase. Unfortunately, it was also in the direction of the Great Hall and intersected with the stairs that led from the Headmaster's Office.

A pack of red-heads cluttered the hallways as they moved towards the exit. They were boisterously discussing their astonishment at the Potters, Sirius and Remus's reactions.

A shrill and irritated voice echoed off the stones, "The _nerve_ of those people. If Violet wasn't so obviously their child, I would wonder if they had kidnapped her. Remus and Violet were the only ones that acted with a lick of sense."

Harry turned his head towards the noise and paused when the Weasley matriarch addressed him.

"There you are Harry. I have already talked to the rest and invited them to lunch at the Burrow. I imagine your Ginny is on her way to tell you."

As if summoned by the mere mention of her name, Ginny rounded the corner that led to her Chambers. She seemed mildly stunned to see her boyfriend already out of his training room and in a passable mood. She reminded herself to send Snape after him more often. If Harry could be calmed down so quickly, maybe the sarcastic Head of Slytherin would finally act like a human being. She altered her path and walked over to the red-heads swarming about her boyfriend.

"Don't worry, we wouldn't miss it for the world," she supplied for Harry.

He looked slightly bemused and wrapped an arm about her. "When would you like us to show up?"

Molly Weasley turned a beaming smile on the couple. "Would an hour and a half give you enough time?"

Harry gave a small smile, "We'll see you then."

The two then departed back towards Hufflepuff's quarters to get cleaned up and prepare for a family reunion that would be both jarring and soothing after so much trauma in their own dimension.

* * *

The four apparated to the bottom of the hill just outside Ottery St. Catchpole. Pairing up, they started the trek they had become so familiar with.

It was like looking back in time. Ginny leaned heavily into Harry's side as Mrs. Weasley's voice traveled through the open front windows.

"Fred! George! Put those infernal sweets away. You _will_ behave yourselves for once in your lives!"

They chuckled. Some things just did not change; and Fred and George's love for mayhem was one of them.

They made their way through the front garden, trying to escape the flashes of the last time they had seen the Burrow. The grass still grew in clumps and several gnomes popped their potato-shaped heads out of their holes to peer at the four newcomers.

A flustered Mrs. Weasley opened the door to see the four teenagers. Three warm smiles greeted her. But the young man she had been so concerned about had one of the coldest expressions she had ever seen. His eyes glinted like cold jewels. As the silence progressed, he arched one eyebrow pointedly.

The matronly woman blushed and welcomed them into her home. She dusted her palms over her skirt, the flour leaving smudges on the handmade garment. She gave a weak smile. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'm just finishing up in here."

She edged back into the kitchen and picked up the wand on the counter. Turning to the oven, she flicked it at the chicken and promptly screamed. Harry tilted his head to see into the room. A rabbit, the size of a dog, sat on Mrs. Weasley's chest and there was no sign of the wand that she had previously held in her hand.

"Fred! George! If you aren't down here and gathering these ridiculous fake wands in two seconds, you won't have to worry about Death Eater attacks on Diagon Alley!"

Harry could not control himself anymore. As the twins tumbled head-over-heals down the stairs and attempted to catch the French Lop that had appeared in the kitchen, pots, pans and herbs fell from shelves and onto the floor, creating an even larger mess. The entire time, an embarrassed and furious Mrs. Weasley stood in the middle of the debacle, red and yelling.

Harry crumpled over and gave in to large, gut-wrenching guffaws. Ron was in a similar state, hanging onto the wall for support. Hermione had finally had enough and entered the war zone to diffuse the situation . With a precise swish of her wand, the rabbit popped out of existence and became an inert piece of wood once again.

Molly Weasley glared at the twins and inspected the stove. In the stew, was her wand. Only the handle stuck out from the dark brown substance. A splattered pot that had previously sat innocently on the shelf above the stove, now lay on its side, dripping with gravy. Her cheeks were now speckled with white and a tic was causing her face to contort with every heart beat. The twins knew that look and scrambled out of the house before their mother had an opportunity to wipe her wand clean and make good on her threat.

She made it out of the kitchen, brandishing her wand, but the twins were already down the hill and out of the range of fire. As she calmed down, the sounds of laughter finally reached her ears. Her irritation evaporated when she saw Harry and Ron leaning on each other for support. Molly mentally forgave the twins, seeing the effects their mischief had on the reincarnated Slytherin.

"Lunch will be slightly delayed."

With renewed laughter, the four left the house and watched as Bill and Charlie set the tables up outside. The twins were nowhere to be found, but they would turn up at the first sign of food. They lounged on the knoll, watching the garden gnomes scamper between burrows.

It was barely twenty minutes later when a satisfied Mrs. Weasley came out of the house carrying a large chicken platter. She was followed, moments later by her husband floating the steaming pot of stew.

"Go on and have a seat, dears."

The four heirs made their way to the table as the older boys came back out of the house, each carrying something. Within a matter of minutes, the table was laden with food.

Molly sat at the end of the table near the four dimension-travelers. The Weasley children of this dimension were spread out down the other end near Arthur. The older siblings were much more world weary than their counterparts.

Charlie had several more scars. He casually mentioned a failed experiment to train dragons to fight Death Eaters alongside their handlers.

Bill had not made it to Egypt. It was much more important to have competent Warders and Curse Breakers in the time of war than Treasure Hunters. He had done all of the warding on the Burrow, and helped with the warding on Diagon Alley.

Percy was just as pompous as they remembered. However, he had not been shunned from the family. Mrs. Weasley refused to do that with the very real possibility of the Ministry being attacked and him dying.

The four dimension travelers kept a discrete eye on him, just in case he turned out to be a Death Eater here as well. In fact, it was because of Percy that the Death Eaters were able to attack the Weasley home.

Fred and George ran a mail order joke shop and invented weapons for the Order.

Ron was the surprise. Instead of the insecure boy whose only talent was chess, the youngest male Weasley had an almost ridiculous strut. Percy even rolled his eyes at his youngest brother's attitude. He sat down beside the reincarnated Gryffindor, who looked startled at the radically different version of himself.

The news of his alternate being the reincarnation of Gryffindor had gone straight to his head. Before Ginny was even seated, he had grabbed a ladle and served himself.

The reincarnated Gryffindor looked at his duplicate in disbelief. It gave him shivers to see himself acting like a red-headed version of Draco Malfoy. He looked at his alternate as the boy stuffed his face. For some reason, he came off as glutinous instead of humorous, like all of _his_ friends thought of _him_.

When the much quieter Ginny made it to the table, everyone else served themselves. She had taken the only seat left available, which was between George and the alternate dimension version of herself.

The difference between the two was startling. The self-confidant air that drew people to the reincarnated Ravenclaw, was completely absent from the meek child perched next to her. The truly oppressive behavior of her brother, Ron, seemed to have stamped out the fire that made her such a formidable opponent.

She reached forward to grab the bowl that contained the potatoes, but Ron beat her to it and loaded his plate down. Instead of passing it back to his little sister, he thrust it at the alternate dimension version of himself, expecting to see some sort of approval or gratitude for remembering to share.

Godric took the bowl, served himself and continued to pass it around to his right. Small conversations broke out between the two sections. Arthur was catching up with his three eldest, who had been busy with their various war efforts. The conversation on the other end of the table was stilted and awkward with the four Founders' Heirs sidestepping any questions that were remotely war related.

Seeing how everyone else was refusing to share their own adventure stories, Ron decided to regale everyone present with his own as the partner to Neville Longbottom, the Chosen One.

It was a sad state of affairs when even the twins groaned when Ron opened his mouth. However, the closest brother was Percy and there was an empty seat between them; so there was no one within range to stop him from making even more of a fool of himself.

"You know," Ron said around a mouthful of potatoes, "With me being the reincarnation of Godric Gryffindor, Neville's job has just become much easier." He turned to face the alternated dimension version of himself on the right and asked, "So, where'd you get your sword?"

Godric looked at the boy incredulously. The boy was actually looking at him expectantly.

"If you don't know where it is, you have no reason to handle it."

Ron's face reddened in anger. "What do you mean _I have no reason to handle it_! I've helped Neville beat up those Dark Wizards in Slytherin all the time. I have just as much right to use the sword as you do!"

Harry was appalled and by a brief glance to the other people at the table, he saw that everyone else was equally horrified by this outburst from the youngest male Weasley.

Godric had officially had enough. He may have agreed that most Slytherins were not worth the time of day, but to assume that beating them up was a great show of Gryffindor bravery and deserved to be rewarded by the passing on of a priceless sword that would endanger more people … it was inconceivable.

"Listen, just because we look alike and have the same parents, doesn't mean that whatever is true for me is true for you. This is an ALTERNATE dimension. You are a descendent of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, but so are the rest of your siblings. If Hogwarts hasn't given you any secret information about the castle and my secret rooms, you aren't even the heir! In fact, it is more likely that one of Bill's nonexistent children will become the heir of Gryffindor than you. Besides, how do you expect to be the reincarnation of a Founder when you act NOTHING like the person you are hoping to be. I may not know half of what Hermione knows about alternate realities, but I DO know that they are named that way for a reason. It's never safe to assume that people are the same. Who may have been a Death Eater in our world, may be a staunch supporter of the Light in this."

Godric's eyes briefly flickered over Percy's form before settling back on the startled boy beside him. "If you cannot keep your mouth shut about the things you have learned, you will have to be put under a compulsion to keep you from telling everyone what you know."

Ron spluttered indignantly. "You can't do that! That's Dark magic!"

"I assure you, it's possible. Or have you forgotten that the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin is sitting across the table from you?"

Harry gave a malicious smirk at the mention of his name. If what the boy said was true about torturing the students in Slytherin House for nothing more than the fact that they were Slytherins, he would be more than happy to personally cast the Compulsion Charm.

The youngest male Weasley audibly gulped and looked about the table to see if he had any support from the rest of his family. Seeing their grim expressions, he realized that they would actually let the Dark Founder cast such a charm on him to keep him silent. He paled and nodded fearfully before getting out of his seat and running back to the house in case they decided to cast the charm anyway.

* * *

"So … my noble ancestor has come to the future," Voldemort murmured to himself. A mirthless grin spread across his skeletal face. The Death Eaters in his presence shivered. The sight was truly frightening. Although they believed that this news would improve their efforts in achieving pureblood supremacy, those who were familiar with the history of the Founders knew that the bad news was just around the corner.

Salazar Slytherin may have been notorious for splitting up with the other Founders and eventually killing several muggles, that was when he was in his upper twenties. Several of the students of the period had written that they had had several loud arguments, but nothing that destroyed their friendship. And at the age of seventeen, they were the best of friends with the traditional arguments of the period, but nothing that would suggest that he would be swayed from Gryffindor's side and especially not Hufflepuff's.

The Death Eaters from the oldest families grimaced and knew that this would not end well if their Lord insulted Slytherin's friends or started spouting his doctrine. It was never proven that he believed in pureblood supremacy, only that he felt that certain muggles deserved the punishment he bestowed on them. He was brutal and vicious in his attacks, but he had made no move to kill all muggles or even expel muggleborns from his school.

The term mudblood was a relatively recent development. It gained popularity during Grindelwald's reign. But before that, it had not been in common usage. The only place the term was used was in parlors, behind closed doors and in the slums of Knockturn Alley.

Lucius Malfoy grimaced as Voldemort brandished his quill over a piece of parchment. Draco had informed him of the appearance of the Founders, but seemed strangely reluctant to elaborate on any details. He seemed impressed with the way Slytherin carried himself and how he was exactly what they had always wished to be. It was amazing the change that had overcome Slytherin House from the simple appearance of their Founder.

Gone was the completely aloof attitude that caused so many rumors of Dark and underhanded activities. Instead, the students finally felt safe and knew that none would get away with tormenting them with one of the most feared wizards of all time sitting at their table. Severus had told him in graphic detail about the scene the young Founder caused in the Great Hall and seemed to thoroughly enjoy recounting the Longbottom boy's horrified expressions.

But, no matter how powerful the Dark Lord was, if he was incapable of swaying the young Salazar to his side, it would ruin his image as the ideal Slytherin heir. A large part of his propaganda from his original recruiting as a Sixth and Seventh Year was to "finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work." (1) And if Salazar Slytherin did not agree … there would be no way to rectify a mistake this monumental.

* * *

A nondescript owl drifted into the Great Hall during breakfast and landed in front of Harry. It gracefully deposited an envelope with no external markings. As Harry touched the seemingly innocuous letter, spidery penmanship crawled across the previously blank space.

_Lord Slytherin:_

_Several of my followers have informed me of your unexpected arrival, and I am most eager to make the acquaintance of such an important and influential person. I am sure that you have heard several horrifying tales of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Please be assured that I am nothing like what those purely Light Wizards portray me as. They merely fear that which they do not understand._

_Dumbledore has no doubt informed you of my true name and my ancestry to cause you some form of guilt for siring such a person. However, I am merely attempting to finish what you started all those years ago. I would greatly like to hear your views on how I could improve my campaign for keeping the Wizarding World safe from muggles and their children. My only wish is to bring respect back to the Slytherin line and finally prove the truth about the ultimate superiority of pure Wizarding kind._

_Your Heir,_

_Lord Voldemort_

Harry stared at the letter in mortification. He had no idea how to approach the letter except with extreme scorn.

One or two of the Slytherins looked at the letter knowingly. Draco Malfoy carefully observed Harry's reactions. His father had sent him a letter, late the previous evening, informing him of the Dark Lord's missive. The young blonde had been reading several texts hidden in the back shelves of the library. Only one or two student diaries had survived the passing centuries, but one thing they all agreed on was that the actual split occurred eight years after the Founding in a spectacular fight. No one, however, claimed to know exactly how the argument started; only that Salazar had died alone, without even his wife or two sons for company. Draco knew he had to forewarn his father. It looked like the Dark Lord would _not_ be getting any assistance from his ancestor.

Harry quickly _Incendioed_ the offensive piece of parchment, but not before a set of keen, blue eyes several seats down from him noticed the spidery signature.

* * *

Fudge put the last letter back on his desk. He had been looking for a way to redeem himself after the disaster the last time he had been at Hogwarts; and the opportunity had literally landed in his lap with the morning post. He had several loyal families that would gladly keep him informed of major occurrences. Most of them were in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff; but the Greengrasses had been close with the Fudges for several generations.

The threat of Slytherin's involvement would be enough to push through his harsher legislation. He had to be seen as taking a hard line and doing something to directly combat Voldemort's growing forces. The fear was palpable on the streets. Respectable people steered far away from the Dark-associated alley. Fudge had longed for an opportunity to get rid of the low-income area and leave Diagon Alley, a truly respectable society. The only down side would be that several, wealthy pureblood families would probably be sent to Azkaban, but if he was honest with himself, they were major supporters and funders of the Dark Lord's campaign. It was a drastic step and would cost some crucial funding. But it was the votes that were important in the end. Cleaning out Knockturn Alley would get the support of the general population and passing this bill would look favorably to the Auror Division. Sacrificing the Malfoy and Parkinson funding would give him the necessary approval rating and redeem his previous … indiscretions.

With a flourish of his Golden Eagle feather quill, his signature graced the bottom of the landmark document, just above the line that stated: Minister of Magic. There was no way Dumbledore could block this legislation if enough of the Wizengamot voted for it; and they were tired of being ineffectual at stopping the slaughter. Fudged grinned to himself. He could see the History texts for the next generations … Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic and Warrior for the Light. Swishing his wand over the document, he sent several copies to the appropriate inboxes. Sitting back in his large chair, he pulled out a glass and a bottle of the finest single-malt Firewhiskey and saluted his brilliance.

* * *

**(1): _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_**

**A/N: Sorry about the long delay. But, if you've been reading my profile, you'd know what happened. Needless to say … having your computer screen be described as "Dead on Arrival" and being sent to California for two weeks to get repaired puts a dent in what you can actually write. Good news, I've got chapter 11 outlined in detail and partially written already. So, hopefully, it won't be as long a wait as for this chapter. I have a general outline for the next chapter of _Bloodshed_ figured out but I might wait a little while on that because I truly have no idea what I am going to do with it at the moment. If you like this chapter of _Founders' Heirs_ you should LOVE the next chapter. In fact, there's a hint buried in this chapter that is very important to figuring out exactly how they managed to travel through dimensions. Have fun trying to find it!**

**As a brief note … I don't have my book with me to find the page number because it's two hours away. So please forgive my improper citation.**


	11. The ADWEB

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously: _

_With a flourish of his Golden Eagle feather quill, his signature graced the bottom of the landmark document, just above the line that stated: Minister of Magic. There was no way Dumbledore could block this legislation if enough of the Wizengamot voted for it; and they were tired of being ineffectual at stopping the slaughter. Fudge grinned to himself. He could see the History texts for the next generations … Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic and Warrior for the Light. Swishing his wand over the document, he sent several copies to the appropriate inboxes. Sitting back in his large chair, he pulled out a glass and a bottle of the finest single-malt Firewhiskey and saluted his brilliance._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The AD-WEB**

The Great Hall was bustling with noise as the students gathered for breakfast. They had rapidly grown accustomed to the Founders sitting with them for two meals a day. So, it was not a surprise when Harry sat down with the Seventh Year Slytherins.

Severus was quite pleased that his friend was making such efforts to show his House exactly what was expected of them; and that it did_ not_ include blind prejudice against Muggles or muggleborns. It also helped erase a stain against the name Slytherin. But, even though their reputation was partially repaired, the rest of the Houses would never forgive the usage of Dark Arts.

A flurry of post-owls swarmed into the Hall from the upper windows, most carrying that day's edition of the _Daily Prophet_. A stunned silence fell across the hall as everyone read the front page headline.

**Minister Fudge Takes Harsh Stand Against The Growing Darkness!**

By: Atal Rhag Tywyll

_In a startling move yesterday, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, drafted a revolutionary Bill to efficiently stop the growing support for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. An emergency meeting of the Wizengamot was called and the Bill was voted into legislation by an overwhelming 11-2. Surprisingly, one of the Nay votes was Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was quoted as saying, "This Bill will only serve to drive the neutral parties to You-Know-Who. The werewolves, vampires and other creatures have not declared a side in this war as a whole, only individuals such as Fenrir Greyback. If this Bill is enacted, these beings will have no choice but to turn to You-Know-Who and bolster his forces. Instead, we should welcome our fellow people and accept them, regardless of their differences."_

_Although this sounds enlightened in theory, Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard alive and has little to fear from these Dark Creatures. But, those of us living outside the hallowed halls of Hogwarts live in the real world and have already suffered from attacks. This revolutionary Bill will purge the British Wizarding World of all Dark influences that currently have a choke-hold on our society. See page A-2 for the full Bill passed early this morning._

**Anti-Dark Wizarding and Creatures War Effort Bill**

Bill 97120-1

_For the purpose of undermining the Dark Lord Voldemort's grasp on Wizarding Society and eradication the Dark forces that are threatening our world._

_Section 1. _All Dark Wizards and Dark Creatures (as defined in Addendum A and Addendum B, respectively) are to be put to rigorous interrogation, irrespective of age.

_Section 2._ All known gathering places for Dark activities and peoples will be torn down and all inhabitants will be interrogated.

_Section 3._ Any individual found guilty of Dark tendencies or guilty of other crimes discovered during interrogation will automatically be sent to Azkaban.

_Section 4._ Any individual found guilty of aiding or abetting the Dark Lord Voldemort will be executed by being thrown into the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries.

_Section 5._ All Vampires and Werewolves will be imprisoned in Azkaban in the highest security cells to prevent escape and further spread of their diseases.

_Section 6._ All other Dark Creatures will be kept in separate containment centers to prevent them from pledging allegiance to the current Dark Lord or harming Wizarding citizens.

_Addendum A._ A Dark Wizard is defined as someone who has a natural affinity for the Dark Arts or someone who regularly practices the aforementioned Arts.

_Addendum B._ Dark Creatures are defined by the Beast and Beings Division, which includes but is not exclusive to: Vampires, Werewolves, Drow and Valkyrie. For the full listing of Dark Creatures, see Dark Creature Listing and Classification located in the Beast and Beings Division of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Harry paled. No matter how hard the Ministry had tried in their own world, they _never_ managed to actually pass a full Bill about it. Dark Creatures were always shunned from society, but they were never put into the Wizarding equivalent of a concentration camp.

Harry looked at the students about him. The majority of these children were just condemned as criminals for nothing more than their natural affinity to a particular branch of magic. Quickly, he scanned the Head Table. The least effected looked grim, but several people looked physically ill. At least three people sitting up there would be hauled into Azkaban before the day was out and Harry had no intentions of losing them.

A cold mask settled on his face. It was time for Salazar Slytherin to reappear and show the world exactly why it was foolish to attempt to out-maneuver him.

* * *

Harry finally appreciated his extensive wardrobe he was tortured through purchasing. As he stormed down Diagon Alley, people moved to either side of the street to get out of his way. He was dressed in his full battle regalia, sword glinting in the harsh daylight. Sylvia was tightly curled about his forearm to prevent from being dislodged in his violent stride, hissing menacingly.

Quiet murmurs had broken out behind them. Several had heard from their children that the Founders had come from the past, but it seemed so fanciful that they were hesitant to believe it, especially since something so spectacular surely would have made headlines in the _Daily Prophet_.

The crooked, white marble building rose above Diagon Alley. The glass doors swung open at his approach, revealing a throughway and a goblin doorman. Harry did not pause as the doorman bowed him through and into the lobby of the bank. Business stilled as the irate Slytherin strode across the marble floors. He moved to the closest goblin teller, who raised a skeptical eyebrow at the teenager.

"I need to be taken down to the Slytherin ancestral vault."

"And do you have the necessary identification? The last individual who tried to lay claim to the contents of said vault was incapable of verifying his status as a true Slytherin."

Harry nodded sharply and indicated towards the cart rails. "I'm sure that I can prove it adequately."

The goblin pressed a button on his podium. "Grabsnatch will be with you momentarily."

By the time he made it to the cart station, a stocky goblin with a sneer firmly planted on his face was waiting for him.

The cart ride was silent as they wound their way through the caverns. They came to an abrupt halt outside an ancient, iron door. The goblin waited in his seat as Harry jumped out and approached the seemingly innocuous door. Running a hand over the dusty surface, he revealed several emeralds embedded near the edges of the door where hinges would normally be placed. It was a simple security measure. Certain emeralds had to be selected and pressed in the appropriate order. Most would assume that there was some sort of Parseltongue password; but then any illegitimate heir could plunder the vault. Quickly pressing several of the jewels, he stood back as the door swung open.

The goblin attempted to appear disinterested in the contents of the notorious wizard's vault, but failed miserably when his head craned to see around the corner of the door.

Harry inwardly smirked at the creature's antics. Moving with certainty, he walked up to an unremarkable, small brown jewelry box. Deftly raising the lid, he exposed a yellowed scroll that would have long ago crumbled to dust if not for the layers of preservation spells on it. Snapping the lid shut again, Harry placed the small box in his robe pocket and left the vault.

The slightly more impressed goblin set the cart back in to motion and steered them back to the lobby.

* * *

Harry was officially beyond angry. He knew what Fudge was doing and that it was making the Dark Lord's job that much simpler. However, he saw his mere existence as a thumb to both of those figureheads. He made life difficult for those in power and he enjoyed it.

He had changed into muggle street clothes for his next step in thwarting the control of the established factions. However, this portion was significantly more physical and aggravating. The ground had shifted and physical landmarks moved over the centuries, which caused it to be a difficult task to find ancient warding stones that were laid a millennium ago.

Currently, he was a half mile outside Hogsmeade trying to decide if the pine tree he was looking at was the one planted to right a drunken accident he and Godric had committed against a very fiery and frightening widow who had refused to return their clothes until they fixed her trampled herb garden and bent saplings. They had thought it was a great joke to put a warding stone in her backyard at the time. However, the night was hazy and wobbly due to their inebriated state and they were extremely lucky that they had not blown themselves up while casting spells on the garden stone. Of course, if they had been even moderately sober, they would have realized that they had the ability to conjure their own clothes.

So, he was now kneeling on the moist earth trying to find remnants of the garden. Unfortunately, the people of Hogsmeade had noticed the supposed Salazar Slytherin and his odd clothing choice and had gathered to watch him dig about in the dirt, mumbling to himself.

* * *

It had taken all day to locate and charge the warding stones. It was now dinnertime and Harry was muddy and sweaty. The most external wards had not been modified in many years. Hogwarts was actually beholden to Hogsmeade, but it had become independent as wards were cast specifically over the Hogwarts grounds. Those wards were so complex that any manipulation could collapse them.

It was time to make an announcement to the school and he had no time to get clean. So he would make his speech to the student body in dirty jeans and a sweat-soaked t-shirt.

The mood in the Great Hall was hostile, but Harry was too tired to deal with petulant teenagers after ensuring the safety of those same children. A quiet descended on the Hall at the sight of the bedraggled Slytherin. Harry did not slow down as he stalked to the Head Table. Even in his muggle teen clothes, he possessed an aura that commanded respect. Some of his hair had escaped from its tie at the base of his neck, settling limply on his shoulders. He stopped at his usual seat between Snape and Ginny and scanned the Hall.

"As most of you are unaware, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are on Slytherin land." Harry paused as murmurs broke out. "This land has been in Slytherin possession long before any Ministry ever existed. With the existence of a Lord Slytherin, this land is sovereign from Ministry law. Thus, the law of the land prevails.

All rules in this school remain as is. The only thing that changes is that _no one_ will be forcibly removed for something outside of their control. However, this does not mean that we will be harboring Death Eaters on Slytherin land. Only those who are directly threatened by this new legislation and are neutral will be able to claim Sanctuary here. This does not affect students, teachers or the current residents of Hogsmeade."

Harry paused, waiting for this new information to sink in before he continued, "As such, in order to prevent the Ministry from entering and arresting those who have been given Sanctuary, I have spent the day modifying the outer wards. They will allow no Ministry official intending to cause harm to enter the Grounds, nor will they allow any Death Eater to pass through them."

He felt Severus give a slight jerk at his side. He would have to link the Potions Master to the wards to make an exception for his magical signature. Considering the fact that he already had an override for the Chamber, it would merely involve linking that override to the general wards.

There was visible relief in the Great Hall. Not only were the Dark and Neutral wizards safe from the Ministry's long arm; but the Light wizards were also spared the wrath of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

His announcement over, Harry left the Great Hall, determined to get a shower and go to bed. He knew the next day would be hectic. He expected the Minister and his Aurors to make an appearance and attempt to arrest all of the children from predominant Dark families for interrogation and shipment to Azkaban.

* * *

It seemed as if the Ministry decided to open at 7 a.m. the next day, instead of normal working hours. An irate group of thirty Aurors stood outside the Hogsmeade wards attempting to break through. However, every spell they sent either ricocheted off or was absorbed into the giant protective dome. 

Dumbledore had sent McGonagall the previous night to explain the new … or rather _old_ wards to the Hogsmeade citizens. Those who were awake, mostly shop owners, had stopped to watch the sight. However, the ranting was reaching a loud enough pitch to wake those still sleeping.

The Headmaster sent Fawkes with four missives for the Founders and to wake Harry in particular. He was expecting quite the show, one that he could use to conjure his jovial-grandfather expression for years to come. Dumbledore moved from his window and decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast while awaiting those he summoned.

A very disgruntled Harry grabbed his clothes, glaring at the bird who had the audacity to set his bed on fire. Fawkes merely preened as Harry conjured water to douse the flames. Once he was sufficiently dressed, the phoenix fanned his long tail feathers, dropped the letter on his head and vanished to find his next target.

Sylvia was loudly hissing her complaint from the bed post she had taken refuge on. _The next time I see that miserable feather-brain, I'll strangle it! How **dare**_ _such a creature singe my beautiful tail. Rotten turkey … lucky I'm not venomous …_

Harry allowed the small serpent to curl around his forearm. Quickly inspecting her sleek, black scales, he saw no injury and rolled his eyes and let Sylvia complain about the injustice of it all. He crossed the Chamber and made his way to the goblin door. He loudly beat on the heavy door, taking out some of his frustration on the inanimate object.

Severus swung the door open, glaring blearily out at the figure in his doorway, "What the Hell are you doing?"

Harry thrust Dumbledore's letter at him. "I was awoken this morning by a phoenix who decided to destroy my bed."

Snape skimmed the note and promptly shut his door in Harry's face. A moment later, the Potions Master exited his room, fully dressed, attitude in place.

* * *

The two Slytherins entered the Great Hall to find Dumbledore merrily eating a selection of Fruits. Ron was asleep at his plate. Hermione and Ginny were chatting excitedly over their kippers. Harry groaned; he recognized the glint in their eyes. Hermione was gearing up for a S.P.E.W.-like rant and Ginny looked like she was channeling Fred and George.

Harry and Severus sat at the end of the Head Table in an effort to stay away from the growing insanity.

"Ah, I see Fawkes was successful in his task," said the bemused Headmaster.

Harry glared down the table and Ron groaned, coming alive momentarily in order to cram some eggs in his mouth as food appeared on the golden plate by his head. Severus merely snatched the cup of black coffee in front of him, quite accustomed to the old man's morning habits.

"I do believe that the representatives from the Ministry are becoming flustered by now. And several members of the press should also have arrived. Perhaps we should explain why they are being o ineffectual this morning." The elderly man rose from the table, the embroidered stars on his robes shimmering and twinkling in the early morning light.

Harry quickly followed Dumbledore out of the Hall with Ginny at his side. Snape stalked behind them, grumbling about leaving his second cup of coffee behind. Hermione was unsuccessfully attempting to pull Ron to his feet. He did not seem to care that the Founders needed to show a united front; but he _did_ care about the pain caused by his fiancé yanking him out of his chair by his ear.

Harry's disgruntlement evaporated when he saw the scene on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. The Minister was turning an outrageous shade of purple as he berated his Aurors, several of which were nursing burns and various injuries. However, none of them attempted to break through the wards as Fudge was demanding of them.

The Minister finally noticed the six Hogwarts arrivals and turned a blistering glare on Dumbledore. "What is the meaning of this old man? You cannot stand in the way of a country-wide law no matter _how _influential you think you are."

Dumbledore stood there, with a serene look on his wrinkled face. "Oh, I have no intention of standing in your way. However, I believe that you have forgotten several important, _older_ laws. Perhaps Lord Slytherin would explain the intricacies of just _why_ your Aurors are having such difficulties with these wards."

Harry rolled his eyes at the dramatic effect the Headmaster's words had. Fudge slowly turned to face the young man in question. "You …"

Harry smirked, "You see … Hogsmeade and the surrounding lands are all on Slytherin property. And it hasn't changed hands since the Ministry's conception. As the only existing Lord Slytherin in control over the deeds of the property, I am capable of granting Sanctuary from any political power. Therefore, any individual that is being persecuted by this new law of yours and that is neutral, is welcome to stay on my land, seeing how it is a separate political entity and falls under _my_ rule. The external wards have all been updated to prevent the Ministry from harming those who are innocent of nothing more than a condition of their birth or a disease."

The _Daily Prophet_ reporters were rapidly taking notes, their photographers snapping shots of the fallen Aurors, the puce Minister and the cool and collected Founders. It was not until a flash went off directly in Fudge's face that he noticed the impending disaster. Taking a deep breath, Fudge brought himself under some semblance of control.

"You may be capable of setting up a safe place for these Dark Creatures, but only at the sacrifice of the childrens' safety."

Harry smirked, he always enjoyed causing the Minister stress. He had yet to see the man have a heart attack, but he was confident that he would witness that glorious moment in this world. "Actually, the wards don't just prevent unwanted Ministry employees; they also prevent anyone with the Dark Mark from entering the Grounds. So, in reality, it is safer for the students _here_ than at home."

Fudge snarled, "Perhaps you've protected them from the people who could harm them; but how do you expect to protect them from the _animals_ that will come here for Sanctuary?"

Hermione had officially had enough. There was no force on Earth that would stop her from tearing into the bigoted politician. "Animals, Minister?" A deadly gleam entered into her eyes. "An animal is a creature without logical reasoning. These _people_ come from different races with broad and colorful histories just as we do. Vampires and Werewolves were human once, but they contracted a virus through no fault of their own. It does not change their souls. If they were a good _person_ before they were turned, they will remain a good person afterwards. The drow and valkyrie have not interfered in human politics for centuries. They have removed their societies so completely thoroughly, that most people would not be able to identify them if they came up and introduced themselves!"

Fudge and his entourage took a step back from the wards at the sight of the fuming Ravenclaw. He had assumed that her radical ideas were the result of Slytherin brainwashing her. But, that thought was losing credence with every word that rushed from her mouth.

"The only individual I can think of that lacks _logical reasoning_ is the incompetent moron in front of me!" With that, Hermione spun on her heal and staked back off to the castle, the rest of the Founders, Snape and the Headmaster following her up the hill.

Harry slowed down as he got to the double doors leading into the castle. Sirius and Remus were standing there, suitcases and duffel bags thrown over their shoulders as they struggled to grasp the handle to the door. They were forced to jump back as the doors swung open to allow the steaming Hermione through. Embarrassed, they looked at Harry, their words dying on their lips. Harry merely nodded at them, accepting their silent gratitude and moved swiftly up the staircases towards the Headmaster's office to have a brief conference to decide how to handle the incoming refugees.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy, for once, did not know how to act. The news that his son would remain safe from the newest legislation that had picked up the name The AD-WEB, relieved him. Of course, it still left him with the problem of finding a safe haven for himself and his wife. The moment he saw the Bill, he had the house elves pack their essentials and move them to the original Malfoy property. Thankfully, their old family came in useful once more. The house and property existed long before the Ministry. However, the title Lord Malfoy was a relatively new addition. The family property sat on two acres of craggy hillside with a three room cottage on the only level ground. Narcissa nearly wept when she saw the dirt floors.

But, Lucius counted himself lucky. With the correct application of magic, they could turn the weather-worn cottage into a cozy, if small, home. It just grated on his nerves that the Weasleys now lived in splendor in comparison to him.

The Parkinsons had both been arrested while still in bed. And even though Madam Parkinson did not bear the Dark Mark and even under Veritaserum she could not admit to any crimes, because of her family's affinity with the Dark Arts, she was sent to Azkaban with her now soulless husband.

However, this was not the only troubling thing on the aristocrat's mind. The Dark Lord had decided that Lord Slytherin's actions were a sign that the young man would be easy to sway to his cause with a little more persuasion. Draco had already written his father and explained the lukewarm reaction the Founder had to the Dark Lord's first letter. Lucius only hoped that this newest letter to the man would not be nearly as dogmatic as the first. But, he was not going to count his Hippogriffs before they hatched; especially with the way _his_ luck was turning recently.

* * *

_Salazar Slytherin,_

_As you can see, the Wizarding World is unaccepting of _all_ Dark Wizards and Creatures. Word has reached me of your actions to protect the innocent in this war. If it was not for you, more children would have been to Azkaban than there already has been. As it is, the homeless children in the Knockturn Alley district have been arrested and instead of placing them in Wizarding homes, they are being sent to Azkaban for associating with the Dark._

_The Ministry has gone too far and is not protecting its citizens. It is concerned with promoting the Light and protecting Muggles, not the peoples that actually fall to their jurisdiction. The government is too far gone to repair. It must be overturned so that it can focus on protecting _true_ Wizarding people._

_Your Heir,_

_Lord Voldemort_

Harry nearly snorted at the newest missive from the Dark Lord. He was well aware what he considered to be a "true Wizarding" person and it did not include all witches and wizards nor all creatures, merely the pureblooded and those that were useful to his cause. Harry was thankful that at least the argument improved. If he was not so well acquainted with the Dark Lord's ideas, it would actually have been compelling.

He knew that there were spies from all sides watching his reactions to the letter. The Minister had already decided that it did not matter if a place offered Sanctuary or not, if the individuals seeking it could not reach it. So, the man had posted a heavy Auror guard outside of the Hogsmeade wards to stop any and all Dark Creatures from reaching the refugee camp on the Hogsmeade side of the Forbidden Forest.

In all reality, Harry was waiting with baited breath for the bumbling Minister to attempt to enter the Forest at a point outside of the wards and try to capture the Dark Creatures there. The very trees in that Forest would pummel the invaders. Of course, it brought back delightful memories of his home universe and what Umbridge was like after the centaurs were through with her. A very satisfied smirk played across his lips as he _Incendioed_ Voldemort's missive.

* * *

Violet was nervous. Her parents seemed to be very upset about something and for once, she could not figure out exactly why. She knew it had something to do with her long lost brother; but that was almost always the case nowadays. However, her Uncles Sirius and Remus were both acting subdued. If they were in animal form, she was sure that they would have their ears laid back against their heads and tails tucked tight against their stomachs. The other, extremely confusing factor was that they were waiting outside of the Great Hall instead of heading inside for dinner. Her father and uncles never missed a meal.

All confusion lifted, though, when the four dimension travelers rounded the bend and descended the stairs together. Ron and Hermione were chatting quietly together in front with Harry and Ginny holding hands discretely behind them. They were all dressed in casual wizarding attire, for once, not displaying their house colors so predominantly. Harry still wore green, but it was a darker green that made his eyes shine even brighter in comparison. The four stopped abruptly, when the Marauders were spotted.

James cleared his throat and looked at the man his son could have been. "I know that I haven't been … welcoming … to you since you arrived." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "But, I would like to get to know you, my whole family would. It's not every day that you get the chance to talk to someone you never thought you would see again. And it was stupid of me to take my anger out on you, when you had no idea what we had been through." Looking briefly to his wife for support, James continued, "We would really like it if you would join us for dinner in our chambers."

Harry swallowed quickly. He both wanted to leap at the opportunity to talk to his parents and to thumb his nose at them for the way he had been treated up until this point. He knew that if he accepted, it was likely that he would not want to return to his own world when they finally figured out how they managed to get sucked here in the first place.

Ginny squeezed his hand lightly, drawing him out of his thoughts. Her smiling face was all the convincing he needed. It appeared as if her plot to use his past memories worked after all. Looking up from her hazel eyes, he took in the nervous appearance of the four adults across from him. He truly loved his own Sirius and Remus and the thought that he would be able to start a relationship with them here as well as with the parents he could not even remember softened his heart. The one thing he desired more than anything else was a family, and it was standing right in front of him. However, he would be a fool if he let his guard down all the way. They had already hurt him enough when he first came here, he had no intention of letting this be an easy victory for them. They would talk and get to know one another, and if Harry felt that he could truly trust them, _maybe_ he would let them into his heart.

"Alright, but only if my girlfriend can come to."

The Potters broke out into grins and cheerfully nodded their consent. Violet was thrilled, this was exactly what she had wanted all along. If her parents could accept the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin as their son, surely they would not have any problems with her extremely Slytherin qualities that she had kept hidden from them since the Sorting Hat first mentioned them.

Harry gave a half-smile to his best friends, showing them that he would be alright without them for a couple of hours. With relieved looks, Ron and Hermione made their way into the Great Hall, passing the Marauders; but not without first glaring at them in challenge. There was no way that they would let these people hurt their friend again. They knew how much this would mean to him and they did not want to see him hurt like he was at the end of their Fifth Year.

Violet quickly ran over to her older brother and grabbed his free hand. "You know, I've always wanted an older sibling to torture." With that, she drug the unresisting Harry and Ginny down the corridor and up the far stairs towards the Potters private chambers, James, Lily, Sirius and Remus trailing behind, momentarily forgetting their worries and the upcoming uncomfortable dinner as they attempted to right their wrongs. They knew it was not going to be an easy feat. But, as Dumbledore always said, it's best to start somewhere, even if it does feel too late.

* * *

**A/N: I've still received several questions as to whether Harry gave the pensieve to Ginny. He did. Grudgingly, but he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known that it was in her possession in the last chapter. And in the previous chapter, he knew that she won the argument, therefore he gave in to her demands.**

**I have really enjoyed writing this chapter … I've had it planned for awhile. This was one of the more important chapters to the plotline. There are several more to come, especially the next one. So I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**As a side note, I write for enjoyment, not other peoples' timelines. I want to make sure that the best possible work is posted because anything less I will feel dissatisfied with. I would love to see if anyone else could post quickly when they have exams and projects due. Especially a project that involves writing a computer simulation about Action Potentials at the Neuromuscular Junction and the effects of TTX and TEA on the AP and it's various components (this includes several differential equations and the multiple use of the Runge Kutta Method which we are not allowed to use the shortcuts for). I understand that this sounds snappish, but I really want you to enjoy my story and not have the quality of my work suffer. Then, everyone would lose. If it makes you feel better, the next chapter is already partially written as it was the first thing I ever wrote on this story, including the first chapter.**

**Atal Rhag Tywyll: Approximate translation from Welsh for "deter from the dark" done with an online translator.**


	12. The Split

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

* * *

_Previously: _

_Violet quickly ran over to her older brother and grabbed his free hand. "You know, I've always wanted an older sibling to torture." With that, she dragged the unresisting Harry and Ginny down the corridor and up the far stairs towards the Potters private chambers, James, Lily, Sirius and Remus trailing behind, momentarily forgetting their worries and the upcoming uncomfortable dinner as they attempted to right their wrongs. They knew it was not going to be an easy feat. But, as Dumbledore always said, it's best to start somewhere, even if it does feel too late._

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: The Split**

The walk was over all too quickly for Harry's liking. Violet made sure that they stayed well ahead of the rest of the troop heading for the Potters' quarters. She was more than prepared for this meeting. Violet had always dreamed about finally being able to meet her older brother. It made the man she had thought was Salazar Slytherin seem more approachable. She glanced up at him. He _did_ look like their parents. The emerald green eyes were identical to Lily Potter's; however, they seemed troubled and concealed a great amount of pain. They reminded her of her mother's eyes when anyone talked about Harry. His bone structure was also their mother's, but with a more masculine cast. He would never have the broad jaw line that James had. However, he clearly inherited their father's aristocratic nose and hair color. She had no idea if it was as uncontrollable as their sire's because Harry always wore it long and tied back.

Violet realized she had been staring too long when a smirk spread across his features. She looked down with a blush across her pale cheeks, embarrassed to be caught staring so rudely. "Sorry," she mumbled.

The smirk transformed into a smile. "It's okay. I'm sure it's not everyday a sibling pops out of nowhere."

She gave him a cheeky grin and responded, "It's not everyday you find out your long-lost brother is actually Salazar Slytherin."

Harry nodded his agreement.

Violet stopped abruptly at a portrait of a man and woman fencing. It was clear who the winner usually was by the number of tears in the man's loose, white shirt. The woman seemed to have won again, holding the point of her sword against the man's throat as he lay across a stump, panting heavily.

She quietly uttered the password, but made sure that Harry overheard it. The two fencers stood and bowed, the portrait swinging open to allow them inside. The rooms were stunning. They had clearly been enlarged to allow a family of three to live comfortably. The living room was warm and bright. Large sofas and chairs surrounded a fire, cheerfully crackling in its place. The room blended straight into a dining room with a large cherry table and eight chairs. A crystalline chandelier hung from the ceiling and directly over the table. Through the doorway attaching to the dining room was a generously proportioned kitchen. Harry and Violet wandered back to the living room and met with the rest of their group who had taken a more leisurely pace.

The Marauders were all situated on the sofa, leaving a chair empty for Violet. Lily sat on the armrest next to James. Harry made his way to the overlarge chair across from Violet's, where Ginny was sitting. With a little prodding he got her to scoot over before threading his fingers through hers. If he was going to go through with this evening, he was going to need as much emotional support as possible.

"I usually cook dinner, but I thought it would be best if we spent tonight getting to know each other."

Harry was surprised. He had no idea that his mother enjoyed cooking. He felt slightly disappointed that he was missing out on it. But, if this evening went well, he would probably get another opportunity to actually taste it.

The silence was starting to lengthen uncomfortably. No one could actually figure out how to start the conversation. They were startled when a soft pop announced the presence of a house elf. "Dinners is ready."

The group wandered into the dining room. James sat at the head of the table with Lily on the opposite end. Sirius and Remus sat at the far side with Violet, Ginny and Harry on the other. Harry decided to sit in between Ginny and Violet, making Violet extremely happy and hopefully reducing some of the awkwardness.

The moment they sat, the food appeared on their plates and pitchers of pumpkin juice on the table. Before the silence could carry on any longer, Remus decided to get his personal thoughts aired. "I cannot thank you enough for offering Hogwarts as a sanctuary for Dark Creatures. You spared so many of us fates worse than Death. And you did not have to allow me to stay in the castle. I know the other werewolves are more than comfortable in the Forest."

Harry just smiled at the flustered man. "The Remus in our world did so much for me that it would be impossible for me to allow anything else. However, I meant what I said about the AD-WEB undermining our efforts against Voldemort. I would have offered Hogwarts and Hogsmeade as a sanctuary regardless of who I knew was affected by it."

Everyone at the table seemed heartened by this. This was the type of person they had always imagined their child being: gracious, caring and giving. He continually surprised them. As Salazar Slytherin, they had expected someone who cared only for himself and his own ambitions. But this most recent statement was a testament against their ingrained prejudices.

Seeing his opportunity, Sirius decided to thank Harry as well. After all, Harry did just as much for him as for Remus. "I would also like to thank you for your stance. I wouldn't have imagined that you would let me stay here after everything I have said to you since you arrived. I know that I would never have done so."

Sirius looked down sheepishly. He knew that he had a bad temper, especially when it came to certain subjects. However, he could not help losing it when the Dark Arts was brought up. His family had always been talented in it, all the way back to the first recorded Black over one thousand years ago. It was something that could not be helped. It did not help his opinion of the Dark Arts that his entire family, excluding Andromeda (who did not practice them), were mean, abusive, and bordering insanity if not completely insane. When someone professed to be talented in the Arts, it brought out memories that he had tried desperately to suppress for the better part of his life.

Harry nodded his acceptance of the apology. He knew that it would take awhile for them to have a real relationship, especially after everything that this Sirius had said and done since his arrival. However, he had longed for a second chance with his Sirius for a year and a half, and he would be damned before he let this opportunity slide by without a fight.

The table fell to silence once more. Silverware clinked against the plates. Violet could not stand it anymore. She was bound and determined to ask her questions, no matter what her parents though about the nature of them. "So, when did you find out that you used to be Salazar Slytherin?"

Lily's fork clattered as it fell from her limp fingers. Sometimes, it was blatantly clear why her daughter was Sorted into Gryffindor; her lack of tact put James to shame on occasion.

Harry looked at the petite girl on his left and had difficulty not bursting out in peals of laughter. "Since September of this year. We walked into the school and promptly collapsed when Hogwarts welcomed us back."

"You mean fainted, don't you?" Ginny quipped.

Sticking his nose in the air, Harry responded, "Men don't faint. We collapse."

Lily and Violet snorted. James looked at his wife across the table. "What? He's right."

It was all too much for Lily, Sirius and Remus. Full blown gails of laughter echoed about the stone room. In the midst of her chuckles, Lily managed to squeak, "I don't know how many times James has said the exact same thing to me. The day you were born, he demanded to hold you. But the _excitement_ proved too much. He managed to mumble, 'I'm a daddy." Then promptly fainted right there in the delivery room. Thankfully, the nurses are used to that sort of reaction and caught you before you could fall." Lily paused briefly. "Of course, they just let your father fall."

James cleared his throat and determinedly examined his plate. "Yes, well, I'm sure it was just because they didn't appreciate Padfoot and Moony's sense of humor in the waiting room."

Harry's interest was beyond peaked. Remus's eyes were twinkling in mirth. Sirius, however, appeared completely oblivious. "What?! She was a total babe: tiny waist, and great big breasts. That nurse's uniform did _not_ cover that."

Ginny was horrified at the implications of Sirius's tactless remark. Lily was glaring. And Violet shrugged; after all, he had been known to say much worse.

Ginny looked at the perpetual gentleman, Remus. "And what, exactly, was your role in this?"

Remus bore a wolfish grin. "I was laughing. After Sirius made a complete ass out of himself, the nurse swung back around and smacked him. It left quite the print. She then threatened to injure him badly enough to be hospitalized if he even so much as _thought_ a wolf whistle." Remus sighted in mock contentment. "If there's one reason I stay around, it's to see the old dog get beaten up by women for his own stupidity."

Food vanished unnoticed as the evening wore on. Once encouraged along the lane of reminiscence, the Marauders continued to relate tales of their previous exploits. Harry listened intently, trying to imagine what it must have been like and laughing with the rest. Slowly, he began to lower his shields. They would not attack him. The thought allowed him to relax enough to share a tale of one of his more light-hearted adventures. Ginny provided subtle support by doing most of the talking for them, sharing details from other exploits and how they first entered a relationship together. Conversation avoided their past lives as the Founders of Hogwarts, which irritated Violet. It was the one thing that made the entire situation even more fantastical. However, she settled on waiting to corner her brother later to ask all that she wanted to know.

Two hours had passed before they knew it and it was time to leave. Ginny wrapped her arm around Harry's waist and leaned into his shoulder. She was thrilled that the evening had turned out so well, even though the beginning was rough. Harry seemed to have improved his mood greatly for the first time since Sirius died in their own dimension. She had been extremely concerned about his bouts of depression, but seeing him so happy and carefree in the presence of the people he had lost alleviated her fears. They walked back to his rooms arm in arm and spent a blissful night in each other's company.

* * *

Lily stood in the living room, looking at the door her son and his girlfriend had left through. She had such a longing look on her face that James could not help but let his last few reservations fall away. 

"I know he's not technically ours," Lily began. "But he needs someone so much to tell him that they're proud of him. He needs parents. And I miss my little boy so much. James, if this is who our Harry grew into, I would be so proud. He's done so much and asked for so little."

James looped one arm around his wife's waist. "You know that he will eventually go back to his own world when they figure out how, right?"

"I know. But if this is my only opportunity to know my son, I'll take it." She leaned into her husband's side, knowing that he would do anything for her happiness and that, subconsciously, he wanted this just as much as she did.

* * *

It had been a week since Hogwarts declared itself a separate entity. Refugees were pouring in. Werewolves and vampires camped in the Forbidden Forest; a small outcropping of buildings had grown up on the route between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. All of the students were limited to the castle and were not allowed outside without a teacher as an escort. It was starting to cause the students to get restless. One or two minor pranks were set off, but it was all in good fun and no one was hurt. 

The heirs were sitting at their respective tables in the center; they were casually dressed and relaxed amongst these people. Everything was how it should be at lunch: small conversations were taking place, while clusters of people were bent over books and studying or editing their essays. The only table that seemed slightly off was the Gryffindor table. Five students sat barely talking, only giving each other side glances and brief glares over to the Slytherin table. These went unnoticed, however, because this group of Gryffindors were constantly glaring at any Slytherin they passed.

As the noon bells rang from the clock tower, there was a series of large pops that came from the Slytherin table. All amongst the food were various snakes. Some were merely small garden snakes, while others were large black snakes. However, there was something they all had in common. All of them were in the food and all of them were dead.

The Slytherins paled, but none more so than Harry. There was frantic hissing coming from Sylvia was she squirmed up to his neck to get a better purchase and get away from her dead brethren. Harry was horrified. The five Gryffindors that had been watching so intently were suddenly laughing at the Slytherins. Quickly, the rest of the Gryffindors realized what had caused the verdant house to become so quiet and started joining in on the teasing. Even Ron was not immune to the humor he got out of seeing the Slytherins in such a state and quickly started chuckling along with the rest of his house.

Harry looked up and saw his best friend laughing. He could not believe it. Harry was beyond angry, he was furious. "GRYFFINDOR!" He launched himself from his seat and climbed over the Ravenclaw table heading towards Ron.

Ron stood up, still chuckling. "What is it, mate?"

"How dare you do something like this? I thought you were my friend," Harry ground out through his clenched teeth.

"What are you talking about? It's just a joke. Why are you getting so upset about insulting a bunch of future Death Eaters? Everyone knows that they're no good. I don't see how you can just sit amongst them anyway, pretending that they're not evil and joke around with them."

"Excuse me?" Harry whispered incredulously.

"What? Everyone knows they're evil. They should know what will happen to them when they get caught working for their precious Master."

"Am _I_ evil? Have _I_ done something to warrant this treatment?" Harry stated coolly. "I am as much of a Slytherin as anyone of those _children_ at that table. They have yet to choose a side in this war and you have no right to judge them before they make that choice."

"What has gotten you so riled up? I mean, it's not like it hurt anyone. This isn't even about the war. It's just a stupid joke."

"Oh, so you'd find it funny if I killed a bunch of kittens and spread them across your table and in your lunch?" The Gryffindors turned a sickly green at that distressing image.

"Why would you do that? What has gotten into you lately? You know, I think all the Dark Arts that you've practiced must have gone to your head. It's obvious that you are having problems seeing the clear line of good and evil. You need to get a grip on yourself and figure out how much you're going to let that influence your life. It's obvious that you are incapable of making clear decisions about anything right now. Defending _them_? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

The argument was getting progressively louder. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other from across their tables and nodded to one another. Getting up, they moved to the center of the Great Hall where Harry was clearly losing his hold on his temper. The teachers were at a loss at what to do. Snape was glaring at McGonagall and the Headmaster in turn. They still had power over pranks like this. They should have intervened the moment the perpetrators were clear. But they did nothing. Instead, they sat in their chairs, bewildered, watching the unfolding fight between the two Founders. This was going to get nasty soon without intervention.

Hermione made her way to Ron's side as Ginny made her way to Harry's. Ginny laid a hand on Harry's arm, steadying him and letting him focus on someone other than Ron. Hermione stood nearby, clearly upset. "That is enough. This is not the place for an all out fight between the two of you. Calm down."

Harry looked at Hermione, stunned that she would be telling him to calm down. He felt he had every right to get upset and tell Ron off. _How could she tell him to calm down about something as serious as this?_ Harry quickly wiped his face of all emotion, settling his neutral mask into place. Ginny glanced up and saw the cold glare that covered his emotions and squeezed his arm slightly, letting him know that he was not as alone as he believed.

Ron, however did not have nearly as much tact or common sense as the rest and proceeded to rant. "Calm down! He's turned into nothing more than a lousy snake himself!"

Harry's mask was slipping. He clenched his fists, causing his knuckles to go white. It was clear to everyone that he would soon lose complete control over his temper. "Watch what you say," he said softly, biting the words out through gritted teeth.

Ginny gripped Harry's arm tightly. He was trembling in anger. Knowing that he would be unable to control himself if any more words were exchanged, Harry spun on his heel and stormed from the hall, Ginny close behind.

By the time they had made it to the Entrance Hall, Ginny had to run to keep up. The last thing she wanted was for him to isolate himself down in his Chamber.

"Harry, wait!"

Slowly, his speed lessened, but they had already made it a fair distance from the Great Hall. Knowing his need for privacy, but not wishing for him to continue in his current direction, she gently steered him towards her quarters and away from Myrtle's bathroom.

They were silent as they walked, only their light footsteps making any sound in the deserted hallways. Ginny held his hand loosely in hers. She had no intention of allowing the past to repeat as it seemed like it was starting to. In a twisted way, she was thankful that she had been possessed by Riddle as a little girl. The usage of Dark Arts frightened her, but it had its place and uses. Sometimes, the only defense against the most vile beings and magic was another Dark spell. She had seen too much to be the naïve little girl or even the pure Hufflepuff she had been. She loved Harry as Ginny and Salazar as Helga and she would not let him go again.

* * *

Hermione gripped Ron's arm so tightly that he grimaced in pain. He looked down at the irate girl that only came up to his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?" 

Hermione's glare only intensified, making Ron nervously swallow. "Move," she whispered dangerously. He obediently followed her out of the Hall. As the doors shut behind them on the silent student body, her grip tightened and she sped up, winding her way to her office. Secreted behind an ancient astrolabe and hidden halfway up the Astronomy Tower, she felt it would give him enough time to appreciate the situation.

They entered, Ron sitting in his chair as it appeared. Hermione ignored her chair and paced about like a lion eyeing its prey. "I know that you don't like his use of the Dark Arts. And you know that I disagree with it as well. But you _laughed_ when those … miscreants did that. It was disgusting! There was no cause to insult _anyone_ like that. Harry was horrified and the children nearly got sick from dead snakes popping up in their food. I know we haven't had time to assimilate all of our old memories; but you of all people should know that Harry _is_ Dark. There is nothing we can do to change it."

"I know Hermione. And Harry has done a lot to help the world as the Boy-Who-Lived. But don't you remember what he did? How his own children feared him?"

Hermione stopped pacing and looked into Ron's eyes. She saw genuine fear and worry. "I do. But, I also remember when they went to see him again and all they found was a skeleton, an overturned cauldron of poison, and an empty vial in his fingers. Those aren't the actions of an evil man, or an unrepentant one."

She paused and approached Ron in his seat. Gently, she interlaced her fingers with his. "And I also remember that it was this argument that made us go our separate ways. We lost more than one Founder the day we shunned Sal. Helga lost her fiancé and our relationship was never the same. I don't want to lose you again. I want to fulfill our dreams that we've had for so long." Tears dripped down her cheeks at the painful memories.

Ron raised one large hand and wiped them away. "I'll apologize. But Hermione, don't ask me to give up my personal beliefs. I will _always_ believe the Dark Arts are wrong. But Harry was my first friend in both lives and I love him like a brother."

Hermione nearly fell into his lap. He wrapped his arms about the witch he loved. However, he _knew_ that he could never truly accept this best friend's usage of the Dark Arts. He would let it go for now, but if Harry showed any signs of succumbing to them like he did in his past life, he would be the first to intervene.

* * *

Severus glared down the table. Dumbledore and McGonagall were still in their seats. He snarled at them. This was exactly why Salazar had feared having authority. And it seemed as if they would do nothing, again. He was disgusted. Things had gotten better for his House since the four dimension travelers had shown up, but it seemed that it was only a brief respite in the long animosity felt towards the children underneath his protection. Grudgingly, he admitted that they were probably stunned by the fight, but that did not excuse their reticence in their duties as the Headmaster and their Head of House. 

The silence in the Hall was deafening as Ravenclaw and Gryffindor left through the double doors. With one last glare down the staff table, he stood, upsetting his chair in the violence of the moment. Attention swiveled from the doors to the other end of the Hall and landed on the irate Potions Master.

Sneering once more to guarantee that his displeasure was known, he swept down the Hall. He did not spare a glance at any of the students. All he could think of was reaching the carefully stored bottle of Firewhiskey in his rooms and possibly flinging a large amount of breakables at the stone walls.

Severus had barely left when the older Slytherins stood as well. Their Founder had been insulted; their Head of House's authority had been disrespected with the blatant inaction of Dumbledore and McGonagall. They had no intention of remaining when their two leaders had already abandoned the situation as lost.

With the Prefects and Seventh Years standing in protest, it did not take long for the rest to stand alongside their peers. Not a single smirk was seen. Even the perpetually smug and superior Draco Malfoy appeared emotionless at the sudden turn of events. As one, they wheeled around and walked out.

In a matter of minutes, one quarter of the school had left the general populace. They may not have had the ability to leave the school, but they did have the choice whether or not to be around the rest of the students.

As the double doors closed for the final time, chaos erupted. Students began gossiping, trying to work out what would happen next. Others still appeared stunned at the drama that unfolded before their eyes. But the five Gryffindors who started the whole scene were congratulating themselves over successfully causing the Slytherins to leave.

However, their victory was short lived. Two professors stood behind them: one who traditionally hated to mete out punishment and the other who secretly cheered on anyone who tormented the Slytherins. Thinking they had gotten away with it, the ringleader smiled up at the Professors. "Always a good day when you can give the Slytherins as much grief as they give us for existing. Right, Professor Potter?"

The first glimpse of the trouble they were in was apparent when instead of smiling as expected, James Potter frowned. "You five will clean up the Slytherin table and dispose of every last snake. Am I clear?"

Stunned the boys nodded. They started to go back to their food, but Lily had no intention of putting off their punishment. Stepping up to be even with her husband, she crossed her arms. "Now."

The five stood, realizing that they would get no sympathy. Even Sirius and Remus seemed to support their decision. The only faces at the Head Table that did not hold a similar expression was their Head of House and the Headmaster. Instead, they appeared to feel guilty for not acting in a timely manner.

Dumbledore especially knew that it would take a lot to get forgiveness from Severus. He always seemed to make mistakes with the boy and his apologies came to mean less and less to the raven-haired man as the Gryffindors were shown leniency. He admitted that he showed favoritism to his old House, even though he tried to treat them all fairly. The Headmaster could only hope that Severus would forgive him one more time.

* * *

Harry finally left Ginny's quarters with the express promise that he would not lock himself away in the Chamber and sulk. So, he was making his way to Severus's quarters, hoping that he was there instead of Harry's guestrooms. The winding tunnels of the dungeons were only illuminated by a sparse spattering of torches. 

He finally came to the portrait of a giant serpent resting beneath a briar bush. Its brown mottled skin blended nearly perfectly with the dark forest floor. A quick hiss at the serpent assured him that Severus was in. Two raps to the portrait frame got the Potions Master to the door and silently standing aside so that Harry could enter.

Severus's quarters were dark, but the fire crackling in the hearth gave it a warm glow. Harry sat in the large, leather armchair, cradling the whiskey. Everything in their home dimension had happened so fast that they had never discussed their memories of their past lives. They had too much to deal with in killing Voldemort to hash out arguments that had taken place 1000 years in the past. Needless to say, it was a sore topic that he had never discussed in either lifetime.

"You must understand something. During the time before Hogwarts, witches and wizards were scattered and very rarely communicated to others. We were unified in our need to hide from the muggles and their 'purifying fires'. Magic was only seen as that—evil and unnatural. No matter what branch you studied or specialized in, you were a rarity. Discussion and argument about the Dark Arts came later, when witches and wizards gathered and started to develop magical theory. By our time, the Dark Arts had earned their name because not everyone could practice them; they were restricted to certain families or those with exceptional power. They were originally referred to as the Hidden Arts. But, as we gathered in progressively larger groups, jealousy caused some to scorn them and the name changed to the Dark Arts. With a named that suggested wrongness, they gradually became more controversial. By the time we Founded our school, it was a well-discussed topic and starting to be frowned upon."

Harry paused in his monologue. Severus was beyond fascinated with the subject. History books only said that wizards had seen the corruption in the Arts and avoided them. Somehow, Salazar's explanation seemed much more realistic and exactly what one could expect from humanity.

"I never hid the fact that I practiced the Dark Arts and my friends supposedly accepted it. However, none of them had a tradition in them and never fully understood it. The … fight … you saw in the Great Hall earlier was fairly stereotypical of our arguments. However, Ginny was deeply affected by the events in her First Year."

Before Harry could continue, Severus asked, "What happened her First Year?"

Shocked out of his mechanical rambling, Harry looked up to see his friend on the edge of his seat, whiskey forgotten. "She was possessed by the teenaged version of Voldemort."

Snape shuddered at the name and the disturbing thoughts of what that monster could do to the delicate psyche of an eleven-year-old girl.

"As you can imagine, she did not come out of it unscathed. Ginny is significantly different than she was as Helga. Her more recent memories left her with a less than idyllic view on the world. While she may not use the Dark Arts herself, she does understand why I practice them. In the past, even she turned on me. When you have no friends left and your fiancée fails to support you, it makes sense to leave. By then, more people were starting to protest such an openly Dark teacher influencing their children. Muggleborns saw the Arts as a form of Pureblood Supremacy, which wasn't helped by my later actions."

Harry swirled the amber liquid about the glass, watching as the glow from the flames caught and shimmered in his tumbler. Severus sipped at his own drink as he watched the young man in front of him relive memories centuries old. His eyes were clouded by some untold betrayal and pain. Softly, he cleared his throat, drawing Harry back to the present.

With a weak smile, he continued his tale. "Eventually, I loved again. A beautiful muggleborn witch who went by the name Magdalena. She loved her family and village, so she refused to leave and move to a magical settlement. We had two boys, the youngest of which Voldemort is descended from." Words started to catch in his throat as he struggled to finish. "There was an accident one day and my wife was discovered. The boys were with me at the time, but we were not able to stop the townspeople from burning her at the stake. I lost myself to my rage. None of the villagers survived my vengeance. It horrified my sons. They refused to let me get close to them. I never saw them again. Bryce, my oldest, was fourteen and took his younger brother and ran. The last I heard from them, they had taken permanent refuge at Hogwarts and added to Gryffindor's exaggerations and criticisms of me and the Dark Arts."

It was odd listening to a seventeen-year-old wizard talk about his teenaged sons. But when Severus looked into his eyes, they showed just how old he was mentally. The turbulent emotions moved between grief, anger, love, and back again. The Potions Master waited patiently for his friend to continue. He knew that it was likely that he would be the only person he ever talked about this with. Severus would be able to empathize with the young man and understand his motivations better than anyone else, having been there himself.

Severus barely heard Harry begin to speak again. "I couldn't stand it any longer. I was truly alone. After a time, the harsh words of my friends and family came back to haunt me. I would sit alone, mourning my wife's death and dwell on the hateful glares of my sons and the other Founders. Eventually, I started to believe it myself. I thought the world would be better off without me in it. The last piece of magic I cast as Salazar Slytherin was to brew a poison. I do not even know if my body was ever discovered." Harry trailed off, lost in thought once again.

The Potions Master was mildly horrified. He kept it well concealed behind a neutral mask. Leaning down to take a sip of his drink, he noticed that both of the glasses were empty. Snape poured them two more glasses. Tonight would be a heavy drinking night, complete with depressed mumbling and incoherent nods of agreement.

* * *

**A/N: I was going to continue the conversation, but it just seemed like an appropriate place to stop. Just like it's disgusting to watch someone get trashed, the same applies for reading it. At least, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it!**

**I would like to say that I am _immensely_ proud of my readers. I received some very insightful reviews and questions, some of which were answered in this chapter. In fact, I read them to my friends and family I was so pleased.**

* * *

Beta Note: I am really sorry for taking so long to edit this chapter. However, being a fourth year engineering student at the University of Virginia isn't exactly relaxing. In this week alone, I've had a test in Genetic Engineering and Tissue Engineering; I have been working on my thesis to modify a ventilator to include positive end-expiratory pressure and end-inspiratory pause; AND I have been working on another project to understand the neurology involved in the latest arm prosthetics. We won't go into what I was doing before then, lol. Fortunately for everyone, this chapter is now OUT, and I will say that it is one of my favorites. She did a wonderful job, and I hope you enjoy it! 


	13. The Sorting of Allies

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: Chiara Crawford

* * *

_Previously:_

_The Potions Master was mildly horrified. He kept it well concealed behind a neutral mask. Leaning down to take a sip of his drink, he noticed that both of the glasses were empty. Snape poured them two more glasses. Tonight would be a heavy drinking night, complete with depressed mumbling and incoherent nods of agreement._**  
**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Sorting of Allies**

The Marauders sat in the Potters' living room examining every aspect of the ill-considered prank they had witnessed hours beforehand. The gradual understanding they had come to with Harry made the situation even more difficult to fathom. All of the jokes they had played on the Slytherins were mild in comparison. They guiltily admitted, privately, that they tortured Severus, the only one who was currently standing by Harry. However, it was nothing like the grand scale that was recently demonstrated in the Great Hall.

The flagrant negligence that the staff had towards the entire scenario was mind-boggling. After careful deliberation, they decided that they were too stunned by the immediate aftermath of the blow up between Ron and Harry to take action. But, that did not excuse them from continuing to postpone some form of disciplinary action.

Sirius looked up from his crossed fingers. "You know, I never thought that I would ever consider actually punishing a student."

A wry grin from his two best friends was his only response.

A shuffling noise drew their attention to the door. In the doorway was Violet, shifting from one foot to another looking nervous and full of self-doubt. James looked at her, eyebrow quirked in confusion. "What is it, honey?"

"Dad …" she started, not really knowing how to continue.

James beckoned her in and had her sit next to him on the sofa. Wrapping his left arm around her loosely, he said, "You know you can come to me about anything, right?"

Her throat tightened and she nodded, leaning into her father for support. "Would you have hated me if I had been put in Slytherin?"

The question shocked the three men around the table. "What? I could never hate you. I would have been confused and concerned for your safety. But, I never would have hated you for something that was beyond your control." James paused for a moment. He knew this question was only indicative of an underlying concern. "What brought this on sweetie?"

The young redhead shrugged and leaned further into his broad chest. "The Sorting Hat wanted me there. But I begged and begged it not to. I so wanted you to be proud of me. But, if I'm a descendent of Slytherin, was I wrong to ask to be placed in another House? You seemed to hate Harry before you even knew him because he was Salazar reincarnated. What would you have done if I _had_ been in Slytherin?" the girl rambled.

James silently cursed his stupidity. He was shocked that Violet could have been in the Snake House, but he was more upset by the fact that his biased actions hurt his beloved daughter so much. He gathered her closer to him and rested his chin on her head. "Oh, sweetheart. My reaction to Harry was caused by something far more complicated than him being Slytherin. That was just me latching onto the easiest target. I couldn't possibly begin to describe the pain caused by his death. Your mother and I never truly healed from that. Seeing him alive again … it opened wounds that were still sore. And the fact that he lived where our son died suggested that there was more that we could have done as parents, but we failed."

James looked down into his daughter's soft eyes. "I love you. Nothing will change that. No matter what you do, I will always be there for you."

Violet latched on tightly to her father, her face in the crook of his neck. "I love you too, Daddy."

They stayed like that, holding on to each other for several minutes, soaking up comfort from the other. Her breathing evened out and James carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom in their quarters.

A silent and somber man returned to the living room, rejoining his two best friends.

"This has gone too far. My _daughter_ was afraid to be herself because of the belief that all Slytherins are evil. My clever and crafty child forced part of herself to the background to protect herself from stupid prejudices. And I feel sick knowing that we were part of that."

He sank into the sofa, looking like he would be sick at any moment. Sirius had a similar horrified expression on his face. He never thought that he would compare himself to his bigoted family, but he was just as guilty as they were about House stereotypes and blindness.

Remus smiled to himself. It may have taken an extra twenty years, but his friends finally seemed to have grown up. He knew not to expect any miracles, but this was a large step in the right direction. Deciding to get the conversation back on track, Remus asked, "So, what type of punishment do you propose?"

The other two men leaned forward and they began to avidly discuss the penalty the young Gryffindors would face.

* * *

The next day dawned, bright and cheerful. Students filtered into the Great Hall for breakfast. Some were wide awake and talking with friends; others were doing fair impressions of zombies, eyes barely open and heads nodding in exhaustion.

At the Gryffindor table, several students were grinning broadly and being excessively boisterous. A few of the professors had arrived; however, the normally early Severus Snape was nowhere to be seen.

A little more glancing around and the boys noticed that not a single Slytherin had made an appearance to breakfast yet, including Salazar Slytherin. Broad grins passed around the group, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.

However, not all inhabitants of the Hall were so carefree. The Headmaster and his deputy had grim expressions, they had fallen into the trap that Harry had been afraid of and had forgotten that they were the final word in the school, not the four dimension travelers. In the end, they were still teenagers themselves and prone to fits of jealousy and hormonal rages. The problem then became how to punish the offenders suitably after they had gotten the initial message that such behavior was acceptable. It also would not do to punish them without the Slytherins present. The snakes' humiliation had been public; it was only fair that the offenders' humiliation also be public.

In the dungeons, an entirely different morning scene was playing out. Severus and Harry had arisen early and discussed their plans for the day. It was one thing to walk out on a situation; it was entirely different to hide like cowards in a place they had every right to be in. They were Slytherins, and proud of it. Some child's idea of self-righteousness would not prevent them from showing their faces. The ultimate revenge was always to continue on regardless of what others wanted. It was as effective as spitting on the people.

The two Slytherin leaders entered the Common Room. Dead silence greeted them as the doorway closed behind them. The students sat, assembled on the sofas or floor depending on status. They would follow these two men anywhere; do anything asked of them. They were their saviors, protectors and leaders. Spared from choosing a side and betraying their families or beliefs, they would go to the ends of the Earth for either of the men that gave them that chance.

Severus and Harry had already discussed their tactics for dealing with the House. Because of the reverence the children had for Salazar Slytherin, Harry was chosen to speak with them and Severus would lead them into the Great Hall.

"Slytherins." Attention snapped to the young Founder. "We may be Dark, but that does not mean the Light has a right to ridicule us. Were it not for our existence, the Light would appear dim. And were it not for the Light, the world would be lost in shadow. We are a vital part of society and no one has a right to shun us for the role we play. Because they cannot understand the magic that comes so easily to us, they fear us. Their ignorance is what causes them to strike out in anger or righteous conviction. This reaction has become more and more prominent as the years have passed. The more exclusive the Arts became, the less it was understood by the general populace. People fear that which they cannot control. And they cannot control us. Have pride in what you are and your abilities. Just because something is labeled as Dark does not mean that it is Evil. You have a choice over whether to do good or not. You have no choice as to what abilities you are born with. Even the most staunch opponents of this so-called Dark Lord have Dark Wizards and creatures in their midst. It would be foolish to shun them as the Ministry has attempted to do, just as it is foolish for those ignorant children to shun you for the same. We are Slytherins and we are proud of our heritage. No simpleminded child should have power over that."

The students seemed to grow with pride. Modern dogma had caused even the most traditionalist to doubt their own worth. They looked to Severus to see him standing boldly, arms for once not crossed in front of his chest, ebony eyes glowing with an internal pride and fierceness. His smooth voice carried across the room, "Follow me."

As one, the students rose, backs straight, heads held high. They strode behind their Head of House, refusing to show hesitancy. Once the last of the students had left, Harry turned on his heel and followed them out.

The Great Hall doors swung completely open to allow the Slytherins passage. Severus stormed past the House table and took his customary seat at the Head Table. The students gracefully seated themselves in their seats and watched as Salazar Slytherin made his way to Severus' right. For once, he was glad that the girls had tortured him with the shopping trip. He chose to wear an impressive velvet emerald green robe. Sylvia was situated prominently curled about his upper arm. As he sat down, she glared hatefully at those that would slaughter her brethren for amusement. She only wished that she was as poisonous as some of her cousins so that she could show them just how much she appreciated their "joke".

The Gryffindors immediately halted their conversations to watch the Slytherins enter proudly. Most were stunned that they would return after the previous evening. However, the four culprits glared at them and dove back into their conversation. It was clear that no one else was upset by their jab at the Snakes, not even the Headmaster. The main corrupters of Hogwarts would wish that they had stayed home with their Death Eater parents.

James heaved a sigh of relief when the Slytherins stormed in. If Harry was not present, it would reduce the impact of the punishment the Marauders had invented. Seeing that everyone had finally taken their seats James stood and made his way down the aisle. Severus quirked an eyebrow at the irregular behavior. Harry kept a neutral expression, which was ruined by the constant stare he was giving his father.

He stooped just behind the snickering boys, "You four."

"Yes, Professor?" the ringleader asked.

"Yesterday's stunt was inexcusable. You will serve one month of kitchen duty. You will eat with the elves during all meals since you cannot handle eating with others. While you are down there, you will make lunch for the Slytherins under the watch of the house elves. Their requests will be delivered to you; and whatever it is that they ask for, you will make. Or you _will_ be suspended, no matter the danger awaiting you outside of these walls. It was because of Salazar Slytherin that you were guaranteed safety and you threw it back in his face with that disgusting display."

The smallest of the group looked up at him and whined, "But I've never had to cook before."

"Then I guess you'll be learning from the elves or you'll just have to miss lunch." With one final look, James added, "Punishment starts today and the elves will have no sympathy for you."

Doing a fair impression of being intimidating, he swiveled and walked back to the Head Table. He did not dare to look at his son, afraid to see the reaction. Instead he focused on his fellow Marauders, who, for once, appeared completely serious. With a glance to his left, he saw Lily beaming at him proudly. As he rounded the table and sat down, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. Her half-smile and sparkling eyes told him it all; she had never been prouder of him in all of their years together.

* * *

Ron knew he could not postpone apologizing to Harry any longer. Usually, he gave it several days before he admitted to his idiocy. However, the scene during breakfast sped up his timetable. It was nice to take the extra day to let tempers cool. Although Ron had the worse temper, Harry's was accompanied by spectacular magical outbursts.

The redhead hesitantly approached his friend. Harry was sitting on a boulder, looking out across the rolling grounds. He appeared lost in thought, green eyes glazed. Ron was certain that he knew what he was remembering. The peaceful grounds gave no hint of the tumultuous war raging in the Wizarding World.

No one else was outside. Classes still held the children prisoner inside the dark walls of the castle. "Harry …" he started.

Harry barely shifted, but Ron pressed on. "Harry, I was wrong about what those boys did. It was heartless and cruel, the exact opposite of what Gryffindor House is supposed to stand for. I shouldn't have supported them, no matter who their target was."

The raven-haired man faced his best friend. "Did you decide to apologize because of Hermione, or because of what my Dad and Sirius did?"

"Hermione." Ron paused. "Of course, your Dad's reaction would have shocked anyone out of their stupidity."

The redhead approached and sat next to his friend. "I know we haven't had any real time to discuss our past memories with each other. But, you should know that your sons eventually did go back to your house. When your body was found, we buried it next to Magdalena. We decided to leave it unmarked. By then, people took your actions as that of an evil man. If we had publicized your grave, I don't know what would have happened to it."

Harry looked off into the distance, remembered pain etched across his face. "How long did it take before they decided to come look for me?" Harry grimaced, not sure if he really wanted the answer or not.

"Three years."

"They feared me that much?"

"They were afraid the Darkness had consumed you. Eventually, they _had_ to know how you were and if you were still the man they loved as children."

Harry was both upset and satisfied with the news. His children didn't hate him after all. But they were so afraid of him that they stayed away for three years.

Ron seemed uncomfortable. He had a lot that he wanted to say to his friend, but knew it would not go over well with him.

Harry watched his friend fidget. Ron was terrible at being discrete. He rolled his eyes at the behavior, hoping he had never been so obvious. Growing tired of watching Ron squirm, Harry finally broke, "What is it Ron?"

"I don't want you to repeat the past. The Dark Arts destroyed your life, literally. I don't want to lose you again."

Acidic words were on the tip of Harry's tongue. The only thing that kept him from starting a new round of fighting was Ron's last comment. Swallowing several of his more colorful phrases, Harry slowly managed to say, "It wasn't the Dark Arts' fault that I have a short temper. Nor was it their fault that the villagers were ignorant and discovered that my wife was a witch. I could have razed the village without the spells and my sons still would have been terrified of me. Magic doesn't cause people to do evil things, that's an inherent flaw in humanity. Some families have a stronger affinity for certain branches of magic than others. Trying to limit that and make society homogeneous is what caused generations of children to be misled by Voldemort."

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. An eon ago, Godric never listened to his arguments, it was highly doubtful he would have any more success with Ron who was raised in an even more close-minded society.

Ron sat down next to his friend, his face pained. "Harry, I couldn't bear to lose you, either through your own actions or mine." He paused, as if steeling himself. "But I would rather it not be from me pushing you away. You've had enough of that to last both lifetimes. I will _never_ be alright with the Dark Arts. But, as long as you remain the Harry I've come to love as best friend and brother, I'll respect your choice."

Harry was stunned. Even if he was given another thousand years to understand what had just transpired, he did not think he could fully grasp it. He knew there was an underlying qualification. At the first sign of him falling into complete Darkness, Ron would no longer stand idly by. But, until such a time, Ron would let it be. He could not ask for anything more. Still dazed, Harry reached over and gripped his best friend's shoulder. However, Ron threw his arm around him and drew him into a warm one-armed hug. The two friends sat on the boulder and gazed out over the peaceful grounds, remembering a time not so long ago that the same ground was stained red and fire singed the greenery.

* * *

Severus reclined in his chair. He had to admit that his friend was surrounded with drama. Harry's only saving grace was that he liked the drama even less then Severus did. The solitude in the Chamber was a reprieve from the constant nattering in the halls above and all individuals involved in meddling in the two men's lives. Even his own private chambers could not keep him effectively hidden from the Headmaster and some of the other professors who were determined to check up on him.

Drama and meddlesome idiots were what drove him to seek both solitude and alcohol. A shot glass drifted through the air and landed softly on the table next to him. The whiskey was stashed just underneath, in easy range. Pouring himself a generous amount, Severus prepared himself for a quiet and stress free evening.

Ever since they realized that he had taken a liking to the reincarnated Salazar Slytherin, Order members and other nuisances constantly interrupted his peace and quiet to ask ridiculous questions about his nature or anything else that might have been revealed in private conversations to determine if he was going to be a threat to their already unstable position in this war. With a heartfelt sigh, he relaxed fully into the leather armchair that he had brought down to his secondary bedroom. Several potions texts were stacked on the floor next to his feet, bookmarks in various positions labeling the most pertinent sections. His notes were on the end table to his left with his most recent findings and theories.

A soft knock on the door alerted him to the rare presence of another being in the cavern. It could have only been one of two people, and he was sure that the young Lady Hufflepuff would have no interest in barging in to his private rooms.

"Enter," he drawled.

The young man opened the door and sat across from the Potions Master. "Did you hear?"

Severus nodded. He did not believe it, but he had heard. "You have decided to join the fray."

Harry silently assented.

"This wouldn't happen to be because Potter and his lackeys finally punished one of their own, would it?"

"Partially. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have even entertained the notion of staying here any longer. I would have immediately started trying to find a way home."

"You're staying, then?"

"I don't know. It would be nice to know if it was even an option to return to our own world. If it is … that's something we need to think about."

"You would really return? Even though all of your families are dead back there?"

Harry shifted in his seat. "What would be the point in staying if our families here don't accept us?"

Severus acknowledged the veracity of the statement. It would not be a problem with the Weasleys, but the Grangers would not necessarily understand or welcome the Hermione from an alternate dimension; and the challenges Harry faced with the Potters was obvious. But the decision on whether or not to go home would have to wait until the final score was settled here, to determine which world was best to actually remain in. After all, if the same people ended up dead in this world, there would be no point in staying.

"If you do decide to remain here, how would you explain it to the general populace? Eventually it will become glaringly obvious that your ages here would overlap with certain historical events."

Harry nodded. "We will have to make an announcement of some sort about our actual identities. Of course, that would also cause large amounts of chaos. They seem to have enough difficulties accepting us as temporary visitors to this time. I can hardly imagine the response to the concept of dimension traveling, reincarnation and us taking up permanent residence."

Swirling the amber fluid in his glass, Severus responded, "Yes, however if you are successful in your goals, it will be an entirely different world."

Harry stared into the fire. "One can only hope."_  
_

* * *

_Tom Riddle,_

_I find myself disgusted hearing about your puerile and ignorant ideals. The position you are supposedly fighting for is bigotry and hypocrisy in its worst form. You are clearly ignorant of your family's history, something every pureblood has knowledge of from birth, and support a ridiculous ideology in direct opposition of your lineage and the Slytherin name. My wife, of whom you are claiming descent, was a muggleborn. Through the ignorance and fear of the villagers, she was brutally murdered in front of our two sons. I firmly stand against _anyone _who would suggest the slaughter of another for their abilities or lack thereof. It is for this same reason that I refute the so-called Ministry of Magic. The ignorance of the nature of the Dark Arts and creatures has led the magical community to shun a large portion of the populace._

_Not only are you gaining false support from the victims of the Ministry's crimes, but you also blame the muggleborns for the change in the view of the Dark Arts. In reality, this change has been in effect for over 1,000 years. It was jealousy and the lack of education that supported these views. The Ministry's restriction of knowledge__and so-called 'Dark Lord's are the true culprits for these narrow beliefs. Muggleborns are similarly victimized because they are left unaware of the traditions in the Wizarding world. Your efforts to eradicate the muggleborns are merely supporting the Ministry mandates and confirming the rumors of the evilness of the Dark Arts. The beings who joined your cause are damaging their own futures by causing fear in the rest of the population._

_No heir of mine would willfully aid their enemy. No heir of mine would be so nearsighted as to cause more harm to their lifelong cause than good. No heir of mine would act in ignorance because of the simplicity. You seem to be keener to show the world not only your stupidity, but also hypocrisy to the highest degree. Learn what it means to be a true Slytherin. You are a disgrace to the family name and have no right to the title of heir._

_Lord Slytherin_

* * *

**A/N: As you may have noticed, my beta has changed. My best friend (my previous beta) is going through some extremely difficult times right now and cannot possibly add anything to her stress levels right now. Needless to say, it's why the chapter is SO late. However, the marvelous Chiara Crawford is stepping in for her and beta-ed this chapter. She'll be doing the next chapter as well, so let's all give her a warm thank you, otherwise this chapter still would not be up. Good news though, chapter fourteen only has half a scene to finish before I submit it to Chiara for beta-ing. So, hopefully y'all will have two chapters to read to keep you going!**_  
_


	14. War Has Come

_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling._

_Beta: WinterMoonglade_

_Previously:_

_No heir of mine would willfully aid their enemy. No heir of mine would be so nearsighted as to cause more harm to their lifelong cause than good. No heir of mine would act in ignorance because of the simplicity. Learn what it means to be a true Slytherin. You are a disgrace to the family name and have no right to the title of heir._

_Lord Slytherin_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: War Has Come**

A small, non-descript barn owl fluttered down a private chute that led directly to the Minister of Magic's office. Chimes went off as it exited the chute and flew into the room. The small creature headed straight for a perch next to the Minister's desk.

The chubby man looked up from his paperwork at the exhausted brown owl. "Let's see it, then," he demanded.

The owl stretched a yellow leg that appeared empty. Fudge quickly removed the Invisibility Charm on the paper and studied it. Inside was an identical copy of a letter sent from Salazar Slytherin to the Dark Lord. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort were so focused on finding the other's spies that they neglected to look for the Ministry informants in their midst.

The Minister of Magic heaved a sigh of relief. It was good news that Slytherin would not help his descendent. He had truly feared that they would combine armies and the Ministry would have had no way to stop such an overwhelming force. However, it would have been more comforting if they had a guarantee of Slytherin's support.

Of course, the Minister was not going to let such an opportunity pass him by. He was convinced that if given a chance at redemption, the other Founders would take it. After all, experienced Dark Wizard Hunters were not easy to come by and would be needed to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's forces.

Dipping his elegant quill in his crystal ink well, Fudge once more put pen to paper with glorious visions of celebrations thrown in his honor. As it was, the average citizen felt significantly more comfortable shopping in Diagon Alley now that reconstruction was being done in Knockturn Alley. The shops closest to the high end shopping center had been completely demolished and a new hotel in his name erected. Further down the twisted alleyway, the old shopkeepers had either fled or been escorted to Azkaban for the trade of illegal goods.

He felt his offer of complete absolution for defying the Wizarding government was truly gracious. After all, by the tone in the letter he had procured a copy of, it was clear that the Founders wanted nothing to do with the Dark Lord. There was no need to punish people who had finally seen the light, even if it _had_ taken them awhile.

With a self-satisfied smile, Fudge finished his missive, completed with a wax seal denoting his office. Passing it off to a regal looking owl, he sat back awaiting the inevitable apologies that would come from four of the most famous wizards of all time.

* * *

All movement in the Great Hall came to an abrupt halt as a highly irritated owl landed in front of the reincarnated Godric Gryffindor. Ron took the offered letter. As soon as the owl was free of his burden, he took flight and made himself comfortable on one of the rafters.

Ron looked at Hermione, confused. Hermione just gave him a pointed look, waiting for his natural Gryffindor curiosity to take over. The redhead popped the seal open and unfolded the parchment. The further he got into the letter, the higher his eyebrows rose. By the end of the letter, Ron's eyebrows were blending in with his hairline. He had always known that Fudge was a blithering idiot, but the man kept surpassing himself. He passed the letter to Hermione, knowing better than to keep her waiting.

The brunette speed read the document, her lips pursing into a thin line. She knew Harry needed to read it and make a decision, but she did not want to tempt his temper. She folded it and passed it over to Ginny; after all, she was his girlfriend, it was her job to deal with his moods.

Ginny saw Hermione's careful preparation of the letter and mentally shuddered. At times, she was unsure whose temper was worse, Harry's or Ron's. Harry could be reasoned with to an extent, whereas Ron needed time to calm down before he could be talked to. However, once Harry was calmed down, he held a grudge and remembered all of the past slights; so if the same individual invoked his ire, it would take longer to make him reasonable again. And if the person committed too many slights, the Slytherin in him would take vindictive pleasure in destroying everything they held dear, and then, themselves.

Harry watched his friends discretely pass around the offending letter with great amusement. They thought they were being clever and not letting on that something in the letter would upset him greatly; but their sideways glances at him were ruining all of their hard work. Ron going to Hermione for advice, Hermione's prim and meticulous handling of the parchment and Ginny's look of concern and exasperation were all he needed to see to take a guess who sent the letter.

He took the letter from his girlfriend. Scanning through it, he could understand their concern. The sheer audacity of the man was astounding. It was clear that his position needed to be emphasized. He was just pondering how exactly to demonstrate to Fudge his opinion of him, when the morning post arrived. Owls poured into the Hall.

General mayhem descended. Several of the students who had started with the _Daily Prophet_ were casting surreptitious glances at the Head Table. Harry loathed being the center of attention, especially when he was unaware of the cause. He had gradually adjusted to the stares when it was for his fame or when he had done something death-defying. But it was never good when the stares were a result of the _Daily Prophet_.

Harry looked to the stoic Potions Master on his other side who was reading the paper with a blank expression. He leisurely finished reading the article on the front page and gave it to the waiting Harry.

**The Founders to Stand Against the Dark Lord**

_Ministry Graciously Accepts Apology_

By: Atal Rhag Tywyll

_In a stunning development last night, the Founders declared themselves against the Dark Lord. Salazar Slytherin went so far as disowning him from the Slytherin line._

_During a press conference, the Minister made an encouraging public statement. "I must admit that I was grievously concerned when the Founders initially arrived and refused to aid the Ministry against these despicable terrorists. However, it is now abundantly clear that they have seen the error of their ways. The power and talents of the Founders will be an invaluable asset against the encroaching Darkness. Because of this, I have personally guaranteed Salazar Slytherin immunity from the Anti-Dark Wizarding Bill."_

_This truly gives the Wizarding population hope in a resolution of this drawn out battle for our freedom from the Dark Lord and his followers. The oppression will not last long with four of the most powerful wizards on the side of the Ministry. It is the beginning of the end for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the start of a new age for Britain's Magical World._

Harry could barely believe his own eyes. Fudge was beyond incompetent. His patience had been exhausted before, but this had thrown his temper over the edge. If Fudge had decided to use the media to pressure them into a full allegiance, there was no reason that he could not do the same thing.

With a malicious smirk, Harry began to plot the ultimatum he was going to have published in the _Evening Prophet_ that night.

* * *

Lucius winced as he heard his wife's screeching come through the cottage. She was not adapting to country life well. Narcissa was raised to expect all of the creature comforts imaginable and for the first time in her life, she was forced to do without. She was actually a very powerful witch when it came to curses and hexes, she was an expert manipulator and played the social circles well, but none of that would do any good in their present situation.

Thankfully, they had managed to bring their eldest house elf with them. He was descended from the first elves the Malfoys owned and therefore bound to the Malfoy line directly. The other elves could claim familial allegiances to other individuals because of all of the intermarrying. The Black elves would be forced to answer to Andromeda, even though she was disowned, if asked a direct question. Others could have been confiscated and forced to talk through similar ties and blood bonds.

He had never truly appreciated how much work his elves did, but it was obvious that they would have starved if not for Ulrich. They had no access to food, the gardens had long ago fallen victim to weeds and briars. Manual labor was something they were both unused to. But, they had found that vanishing the weeds magically did nothing to destroy the roots; so Lucius had had to pull them out by hand. His perfectly manicured fingernails were now chipped and dirt lodged beneath them.

Ulrich was far too busy trying to get the cottage cleaned out and habitable to focus on planting anything in the gardens that they could eat. As it was, he had to purchase food and keep it in the cool cupboards to cook their meals. Originally, Lucius had wanted Ulrich to spend all of his time on getting the pest infestations out, but he quickly discarded that notion at the first taste of Narcissa's "cooking". So now, Narcissa shared the duties of battling doxies, spiders and numerous other slimy creatures.

Sure enough, Narcissa came running outside, screaming like a banshee. Lucius stood and grabbed her about her shoulders to stop her hysterical behavior. The moment the blonde calmed down, she glared at him, drew her hand back and slapped him across the face. Lucius was startled beyond all belief. His head snapped to the side and his hand rose up to touch his quickly purpling cheek. "I _hate_ you!" the irate woman spat.

Before the man could ask what had caused her outburst, she dropped a dead snake on the ground. "The next time _you_ get a brilliant idea to follow some power hungry megalomaniac, _think_ about what would happen if it all went wrong. Or, so help me Lucius, _you_ will be the one with a snake climbing _your_ leg!"

Narcissa turned around and stormed back into the cottage. Lucius shook his head and felt along his jaw. To some extent he was appalled at her behavior. No well-bred lady would act in such a deplorable manner; however, it was appealing to see that her fire was still alive and vibrant, which was one of the things that attracted him to her to begin with.

A hooting was coming from above and gave him enough warning to extend an arm. His faithful eagle owl landed, talons gripping painfully into his arm. Andor seemed to be the only creature not adversely affected by the change in lodging. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying the abundance of prey to feast on. The large bird delighted in taking down even large prey, such as buzzards and small deer. The move to the remote and mountainous terrain seemed to bring out the powerful and wilder side of the bird.

Lucius took the paper the bird had in its grasp. News was sparse in coming. He just could not risk having post owls coming onto the property and possibly locating them. They were barely safe as it was and the slightest thing could give away their general location. So, when coaxed, Andor would steal a paper from either a post owl that fell to his mighty talons or some other manner. Without waiting for further direction, Andor took flight and soared in the direction of the nearest hunting grounds.

The blonde man was surprised. The featured article in the newspaper was about a letter sent to the Dark Lord from Salazar Slytherin. Reading it carefully, he realized several things. One, his wife was right. Two, Salazar Slytherin was just the right combination of power, influence and sanity to actually make a difference. Three, Slytherin would win, hands down.

Lucius had just sat down to contemplate his future decisions when a searing pain traveled up his arm. Glaring at the Mark, he realized that if he did not go, not only would the Ministry be hunting him, but so would the Dark Lord. It was obvious that he would have to choose, once again, who to follow. Thankfully, the decision was simple. There was only one side that would be the victor in this war and it was clear that it was neither the Light, nor the Dark Lord.

* * *

**Minister Spoke Too Soon**

_Salazar Slytherin Gives Ultimatum_

By: Atal Rhag Tywyll

_Soon after distribution of this morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_, a letter was delivered via a Hogwarts School post owl. Salazar Slytherin asked for the letter to be printed in its entirety with no amendments to the slightest of phraseology or diction. Below is the letter as received by these offices._

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I was greatly disturbed by the premature printing of this morning's article. Although it is true that I have denounced this so-called Dark Lord, I have in no way accepted the Ministry's actions as acceptable. The senseless persecution of individuals for conditions of birth is the same reason that I find myself highly disillusioned with my self-proclaimed heir. The Ministry took my actions as benefiting them and in its urgency to assure the public and gain public approval, misquoted and misinterpreted my letter._

_The letter that I penned to the Dark Lord was a private missive that was never meant for the Minister's eyes. This suggests to me that the Ministry is not only corrupt, but also invading citizens' private lives. Although I am sure that the Minister has claimed that it is for the safety of the public, it is only a matter of time until anyone voicing a private opinion about the government is interrogated for anti-patriotic expressions._

_The people that are being persecuted are being driven away and directly into the arms of a power-hungry, delusional, sadist. They hope to gain through him what the Ministry has been denying them for generations. Because of this, the creatures and peoples who have been affected by the AD-WEB are fleeing and seeking refuge on Hogwarts land and guaranteed protection from the bigotry on both sides of this war. It is for this reason that we, Godric Gryffindor and I, awoke the wards that we had cast so many centuries ago to protect the inhabitants of this land from unjust persecution. At the time, it was to protect the magical children from Muggles contaminated by religious dogma. It is sad that these wards must be reused to protect the people from their own Ministry._

_I have not, nor will I ever apologize for caring about other races. I know that the other Founders, especially Rowena Ravenclaw, will agree when I say that any government or power that supports the persecution of its people will find itself in direct opposition to us. Because of this, I refuse to lend aid to the Ministry in any situation until the unjust AD-WEB is repealed and discarded as it should have been from the beginning. I will not make the people I am protecting defend those that wish them harm. Until the Wizarding government realizes that its duty is to protect all of its constituents, it will receive no aid from the Founders or anyone taking refuge on Slytherin land._

_Lord Salazar Slytherin_

_Lady Helga Hufflepuff_

_Lady Rowena Ravenclaw_

_Lord Godric Gryffindor_

_It seems as if the Ministry has overstepped its bounds with the leniency of the Founders. Although the Ministry is looking out for the welfare of the general Wizarding public, the Founders (and Salazar Slytherin in particular) seem to feel that the Ministry should also be protecting those that are now classified as Beasts or Dark Beings. In a world that was already split in two, we now find that there are three opposing sides with powerful factions and supporters. It should come as no surprise that Albus Dumbledore appears to have leant his full support to the Founders in their endeavors for equal treatment for all creatures. He has a record that speaks for itself in both allowing Dark Creatures to be educated within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts and to continue on and teach our children._

* * *

Freezing rain poured from the sky, churning the ground into mud. The students had piled into the Great Hall, all nervous about Voldemort's response and when it would occur. Even the children whose parents were loyal Death Eaters were concerned. They knew Hogwarts was well defended and that Salazar Slytherin, not to mention the other Founders, would not hold back on anyone who dared to attack the castle.

Harry was calmly sitting at the Head Table, talking with Severus. Snape's Dark Mark had been burning since the previous night, but there was no point in going. Everyone knew what the Dark Lord's next move was. Without the creatures for support, he had no hope of destroying the Light; and he could only get them back by proving he was stronger than Slytherin himself. Harry and Severus were discussing possible numbers of the attacking force. There may have been one or two creatures that refused to leave Voldemort's side, but they would be easily subdued by their brethren taking refuge on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

However, no matter the number sent against them, Harry was confident that the upcoming battle would be no less than a full route. Sesha was waiting in the Forbidden Forest, ready to attack at the first sign of invaders. If tonight happened to supply as many bodies as she hoped it would, she would be full for a month. She could smell the werewolf packs just to the north of her position. They seemed just as restless as she felt. Magic was whispering through the Forest, creatures of all sorts stood at the ready, most stayed in their segregated groups, but willing to fight alongside each other for a common goal.

Suddenly, the air was disturbed as the Dark Lord's army apparated just outside of the wards. The magical flux set the wards tingling. They had yet to go off as no one with the Dark Mark had attempted to cross yet, but the signal was already given for the inhabitants to prepare. Children were hustled into cellars and Notice-Me-Not charms thrown over their hiding places.

Refugees prepared to fight the monster that had exacerbated their problems to this extreme point. Weapons were readied and passed around the more physical clans of people. All were awaiting the sign from Salazar Slytherin.

Shivers went up Harry's spine. Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looked towards him; they had felt the arrival too. As one, they stood drawing the attention of everyone present. Looking towards Dumbledore, they allowed him to make the final announcement.

The aged wizard rose and addressed the student body, "My dear children, Voldemort and his forces have arrived outside of the wards. For your safety, I ask that you calmly and orderly go to your Common Rooms and remain there until the all clear is given. You will follow your Heads of Houses. I assure you, the wards are incredibly strong and will remain standing, so do not panic. Staying in your dormitories will allow the professors to focus on the battle without worrying about the safety of the students. Dismissed."

The students nervously rose and followed their Heads to the Common Rooms. Before the doors were sealed, each Professor did a head count to make sure there was no one left outside. Once the final student was accounted for, they sealed the portraits shut. The portraits were warded against fire and several more commonly used spells. The inherent magic of Hogwarts would do the rest to protect the students.

The staff congregated in the Entrance Hall, awaiting further direction from the Founders. The weapons they had initially appeared with were back and glinting dangerously. Hermione's hair was tied up and out of the way to give her free range of movement to draw the arrows.

To the staff, the four seemed to be having a silent conversation. It seemed odd to the elderly professors to be deferring to individuals their students' age; but, they were well accustomed to following Dumbledore's lead and he was waiting patiently for a signal from the teens.

Ron knew the battle plan, they all did. The only difference was that they were prepared and well protected this time. They also had a significantly larger army going into this battle than the First Battle of Hogwarts in their dimension.

Realizing that Harry was more than willing to let the Gryffindor play war hero, he glanced at the assembled people and cleared his throat. "Professors, it will be up to you to lead and organize the townspeople. The moment they step outside of the wards, they will be vulnerable. The fewer civilian casualties, the better. Rowena will take up a position in the clock tower and snipe at the attackers with her bow and arrows. She's much better at complex runic spells and large scale defensive magic than close quarters fighting. We need to make sure that she is given enough time to slip into the Forbidden Forest unnoticed.

"Salazar and I will be at the front of the attack. He, of course, will focus exclusively on Voldemort. With your help, we should be able to successfully manage the Inner Circle Death Eaters. The forces in the Forest will await Sal's signal and attack the lesser Death Eaters.

"If some of the townspeople wish to join, they should be allowed to. Distribute them evenly to the outer edges so that they face less of the potent spells the Inner Circle are likely to cast.

"Snape, since you know each Death Eater's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else, it will be up to you to manage the arrangement of the Order according to the positioning of Voldemort's forces."

Severus inclined his head. He would have preferred to take the order directly from Harry, but he was not about to undermine the authority Harry had obviously given to Ron. It was a shock to everyone as it was that Dumbledore had not been given a notable role. However, the Headmaster seemed pleased to merely sit back and allow other to take over the mantle he had held for so long.

Harry was watching the tiny black figures intensely. They were quickly growing impatient. More and more were casting hexes and curses at the wards, only to be rebuffed. A slight pressure in his hand drew his attention to the petite redhead next to him. If he could, he would lock her in the tallest tower to keep her safe. However, he needed her skills on the battle field. Not to mention the fact that he would be grievously injured if he even suggested it to her.

They waited a minute more for everyone to settle down before exiting the large double doors. Harry and Ron walked side-by-side, their girlfriends on the outside of the quartet. The Order was fanned out behind them.

The air was tense. Rain fell, but there was no wind. The combatants eyed each other from opposite sides of the wards.

Stepping forward and glaring at the red-eyed leader, Harry announced, "Leave, Tom. It was pointless for you to come here. The castle and town are completely safe. No matter what you throw at them, the wards will remain strong."

"Then why are you out here with your army? Are you afraid that your heir may actually be more powerful than you?"

Harry looked on with an amused smile, before lifting an elegant eyebrow. "No. However, I do not want the people on my land to be constantly reminded of your presence and the danger their loved ones are in at home. It would cause fear, worry and destroy the morale of the school, which I am sure you are well aware of."

Unseen by Voldemort's forces, the forest on their flank was rife with activity. Creatures of all varieties shifted and maneuvered into position. Centaurs stood behind brush, arrows aimed high to land in the middle of the Dark Lord's forces. Werewolves and vampires couched low and clung to the shadows, waiting for the signal from Salazar Slytherin to attack.

Seeing that the Death Eaters were suitably distracted by Harry and Voldemort's dialog, Hermione slipped off to the right and headed into the center of town to get a good vantage point to fire from. She was hoping to take down some of the more ferocious of the Death Eaters with the opening volley.

Severus scanned the black-robed wizards across from him. The LeStranges were easy to identify. Their crazed expressions from suffering the Dementors and Voldemort's Cruciatus curses were blatant. Crabbe and Goyle stood near the back, their great hulking forms impeding the view of the Dark Lord. However, as hard as Severus looked, he could not find the tell-tale grey eyes of his long-time friend, Lucius Malfoy. It made him both nervous and relieved that the man was not there.

He was by far the best dueler on the Dark Lord's side. His cool and calculated actions made him a formidable enemy. However, if he was not at this battle, when he would be of most use, it made Severus wonder where he was. Either the Dark Lord was up to something else, or Lucius had decided that it was against his best interests to continue to stand by Voldemort's side.

Stalking from one side to the other, Severus signaled for certain individuals to trade places with others. It was easily disguised as general shuffling, but there was a method to it all. Potter and Black had always been able to fight the LeStranges better than anyone else. Perhaps it was because they had gotten into so many duels with them during their school days or because of Sirius' blood relationship with Bellatrix. Severus was originally going to pair Dumbledore against Lucius to keep the hardest competition away from Harry as he directly challenged Voldemort. However, seeing as their day was made slightly easier by his absence, he left the old man to his own decision making. McGonagall had already stationed herself opposite of Augustus Rookwood, one of her best pupils. She had spent many evenings privately tutoring him and answering all of his questions about the theory behind Transfiguration. It was on her recommendation that he was hired into the Department of Mysteries.

With the most powerful members of the Order situated, Severus stood to the left of Dumbledore, just across from Antonin Dolohov. Dolohov knew the most about the more sadistic side of the Dark Arts than anyone other than Voldemort. With the new knowledge Severus had gained from spending so many hours in the Chamber of Secrets, he knew that he was the only one who stood a chance against the man's large and perverse arsenal.

The moment Harry stepped outside of the wards, a roar was heard from the Death Eaters' far left. In their confusion, some focused on the newest sound and others on the clear threat in front of them. The rest of the Death Eaters soon turned towards their left as a deadly hail of arrows imbedded themselves in the flesh of those closest to the woods. That was the cue for the rest of the Hogwarts' defenders to step outside of the safety of the wards and attack their adversaries.

In the clock tower, Hermione had zeroed in on Fenrir Greyback. She knew Remus would have loved to have been the feral werewolf's downfall, but she could not risk the safety of her friends and loved ones for a personal vendetta. The grizzled man had barely turned to look at the forest attackers when she let her arrow fly. Greyback would never have the chance to kill or maim anyone else on this world. He was one of the first to die, with an arrow jammed through his skull.

The Hogsmeade villagers stayed to the opposite side of the battlefield, away from the attacking forest denizens. The most inexperienced Death Eaters had stayed the farthest from the woods, or had run there to flee the oncoming creatures.

A wave of horror passed through all of the combatants as Sesha maneuvered out from the cover of the trees. The only two that seemed pleased were Voldemort and Harry. In his overconfidence, Voldemort shouted across to Harry, "You were mistaken to bring the serpent here Grandfather. She answers to me now."

Smirking at the typical ignorance of the Dark Lord, Harry merely glanced at Sesha and commanded, "_Be careful to only devour those in white masks, my dear._"

"_As you wish, Sal._"

Snarling in disbelief that his favorite weapon was firmly in his adversary's clutches, he threw an Avada Kedavra at the large snake. Sesha lazily let it impact on her tough hide. "_You should know better than that, Tom. There is no magic that can affect me. I'm far too powerful for that._"

Ruby eyes blazing with anger and hatred, he turned back to Harry. "I have had enough of you preventing my rise to greatness. You will fall by my hands."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then what happens to the Slytherin line if I'm dead before I've even had children? You will have accomplished what everyone here hopes to. Without me, you would not exist. Clearly, your sense of logic was not passed down from me."

Concerned as to what to do with his opponent if he could not kill him, Voldemort hesitated to cast the first curse. However, Harry had no such reservations. A large, molten fireball went hurtling through the air, directly where the Dark Lord was standing. Voldemort sidestepped quickly and engaged in battle.

Ginny had stayed to the left of Harry and was consequently thrust into a close-quarters battle with the adult Crabbe and Goyle. Unfortunately, it was the only thing they were talented at. Ginny's fleet-footed maneuvers kept her a hair's breadth from being pummeled by their giant fists. She unsheathed her dagger, afraid that if she used her wand, it would be snapped by a well-aimed punch. She ducked Goyle's meaty fist and side-stepped towards the right, opening up some room for her to attack. He had overbalanced, leaving her with the perfect opportunity to strike back. With a grim smirk, she slammed the blade home into his side. The man struggled, gasping for breath. She drew the bloodied blade out, but was hit by Crabbe. She raised her dagger to take on the new opponent, but found it unnecessary. Crabbe was already a distance away from her, dragging his friend to a safe place to portkey from.

Closer to the castle, Dumbledore's Order was fighting with the Inner Circle. The most intense fighting was focused around Ron, Dumbledore and Snape. If Ron and Dumbledore could be taken out of the equation, it was likely that the Death Eaters could get the wards to fall and have free access to the town and school. However, most of the high ranking Death Eaters were thrilled at the opportunity to punish Severus for his blatant betrayal.

Severus had never been happier in his life to have become friends with the reincarnated Salazar Slytherin. Antonin Dolohov was using some of the most obscure incantations possible and if not for the extensive knowledge Severus had gleaned from Harry, he would have been dead before the battle truly started. He already had a cut on his forehead that was dripping blood into his eye, but it was a superficial wound, one that he was quite capable of handling. However, he was able to trade blows and strike the Russian with several glancing blows, one of which shattered the man's non-wand hand.

Less than ten feet from where he was fighting Dolohov, Dumbledore was focusing on his own quarry. He was faring significantly better than Severus, but that was only to be expected of the man who could fight Voldemort and come away without injury. He was the epitome of the Light Warrior. Beautiful bolts of color arched through the air and paralyzed the evil forces trying to drag him down. Fawkes flew overhead, guaranteeing that no stray spell hit his chosen.

Closest to the center of the fighting was Ron. He dueled with his wand in one hand and the Gryffindor sword in the other. The Death Eaters had quickly learned to stay out of his long reach and shoot at him from a distance. They were scoring hits on him easier than he was able to because they had encircled him and cast simultaneously. A neon blue light came shooting at Ron's back; which he narrowly avoided by swiveling his sword behind him. The bolt shot off at an angle and hit Barty Crouch Jr. in the chest. As the wounded Death Eater fell to the muddy earth, he twisted a silver ring on his right thumb and vanished.

Terrified screams erupted from the periphery of the fighting. Slightly distracted, Remus looked up to see a circle of towering flames enclose the battle. It took all of his willpower to calm the wolf and focus on the Death Eater in front of him. Ron grinned in relief as he saw the large illusion appear. Hermione had clearly made it into the Forbidden Forest and was setting up the defense perimeter. Hopefully, the Death Eaters would huddle closer to the center, away from the flames, giving their side an advantage. With no apparent escape, the Death Eaters would panic and prematurely Apparate away. It was obvious that some of the lesser Death Eaters were already running. The villagers cheered as they vanished and pushed towards the next group of fanatical wizards.

The more hardened Death Eaters were unafraid of the flames in comparison to what their leader would do if they turned tail and ran. That was, until actual fireballs began leaping into the circle and striking them down. The veela had entered the fray and stood just on the outside of the illusion. In their bird-like forms, they shot fire into the battle. Thanks to Hermione's help, they were able to see through the wall of flames and target the Death Eaters. It did not take long for the rest of the Death Eaters to decide to leave and fight another day. All that remained was the Inner Circle and Voldemort himself.

Hermione quickly dropped the illusion. The villagers had assumed the fire was real and were stuck in a battle that they were no longer capable of fighting. With a sizzle and a pop, the flames vanished, heat and all. The people still engaged in duels quickly dispersed, gaining maneuvering room. In the center of it all, stood Voldemort and Harry, firing acidic colored spells at each other, few of them in English.

Voldemort appeared to be bleeding from several large gashes on his torso. During the cramped fighting, Harry had managed to strike the snake-like man with his sword as well as hexes. Harry knew there was no way to truly defeat Voldemort until they had prepared the ritual circle, but he was determined to injure him as severely as possible. That was exactly what Voldemort was planning as well. If Salazar Slytherin was too injured to fight in the upcoming battles, he would not have to worry about him dying, but he also would have a better chance at being the victor.

The people, who had already returned to the safety of the wards to get out of the way and to be sent to the hospital for treatment, were stunned by the ferocity of the battle between the two Parselmouths. The rain was causing mud puddles and slick spots in the grass beneath their feet, but neither seemed to care. Voldemort threw a blast of yellow-green light at Harry, but he had already moved. The blast sent mud flying through the air, leaving a crater in its wake. The mud obscured their vision momentarily, but the battle never slowed. Voldemort's robes caught on fire briefly, but the fabric was too wet to maintain it.

Taking inspiration from the steam, the Dark Lord conjured fog to obscure Harry's vision and to get a better position to continue the duel. Harry did not let the fog last long before clearing it away with an irritated wave of his wand. Voldemort was several steps to his left by the time the fog had completely rolled away. The moment the fog started to part, Voldemort began to throw curses as quickly as he could, scattered about the area he had last seen his ancestor.

However, Harry had already ducked and rolled away from the position he was in and used the beams to locate Voldemort. He shot a slicing hex and cleaved Voldemort's wand hand off. Blood splattered the ground and the man writhed in pain. It took no more to convince the Dark Forces to leave Hogwarts grounds. A small, gray rat scampered over to the torn appendage. In his exhaustion, Harry did not notice the hand vanishing along with the rat and the wand until too late. Cursing his stupidity and the fact that Voldemort still had his wand, Harry wiped the sweat and blood pouring from his own face.

It was a battered, yet satisfied group of wizards and creatures that made their way back to their residences. All around, people were congratulating each other and patting each other on the backs. No one seemed to care who was a werewolf or vampire. Nor did they care who had just used the Dark Arts to defend their home. For the first time since the Ministry's inception, all magical brethren had fought together and joined together as one to defeat a common foe. Slowly the world was changing. It may have only been several hundred people that accepted each other without reservation, but it was several hundred that had not existed before.

* * *

**A/N: Just so y'all know, I did not make up those facts on the Malfoys' owl. Eurasian Eagle Owls can weigh up to 4 kg for a female and 3 kg for a male. They have been known to kill buzzards, deer, foxes as well as rabbits and small rodents and even crabs. Eurasian Eagle Owls were not indigenous to Britain but there has been a recent spike in sightings and the population seems to be growing. So, it seems that the Malfoys owned a very rare bird for Britain in the 1980s and the 1990s. In fact, even today, the regions of habitat for the Eurasian Eagle Owl does not include Britain. But, they do seem to frequent the Middle East, Asia, the southern portions of Europe and even up to Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is not a stretch to assume that some have altered their migration patterns to include Britain. (BTW: Andor translates to "Eagle of Thor")**

**All of my owl information was gathered from The Owl Pages at www. owlpages. com**


	15. Strategize

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling.

Beta: WinterMoonglade

_Previously:_

_It was a battered, yet satisfied group of wizards and creatures that made their way back to their residences. All around, people were congratulating each other and patting each other on the backs. No one seemed to care who was a werewolf or vampire. Nor did they care who had just used the Dark Arts to defend their home. For the first time since the Ministry's inception, all magical brethren had fought together and joined together as one to defeat a common foe. Slowly the world was changing. It may have only been several hundred people that accepted each other without reservation, but it was several hundred that had not existed before._

**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Strategize**

The Hospital Wing had never been busier; not even during the Dragon Pox epidemic of 1815 or the Veela-Fae Flu pandemic of 1642 had it seen so many visitors. The doors were thrown open and people were lying on conjured cots in the stone hallway.

Madam Pomfrey had set her Seventh Year apprentices to tending the patients with the least wounds. She counted her lucky stars that two fully qualified Healers were among the refugees in Hogsmeade and the Forest. The first, Healer Montrose, was forced to flee because of her family's well known Dark past. She would still be at St. Mungo's Intensive Care Department, otherwise. The other Healer had worked at St. Mungo's and did his apprenticeship under Dilys Derwent in 1739. However, five years later, he was bitten and turned into a vampire. He was treated in the Creature Induced Injuries: Dai Llewellyn Ward, but it was far too late to stop the change. He was fired on the spot and ejected at dusk.

The wounded Death Eaters were being held in the quarantine room under heavy sedation charms. The most serious of their injuries had been mended, but would have to wait until the onslaught of patients in the Main Wing calmed down to have the rest looked at.

Madam Pomphrey took careful note of who they were, took a picture for the records and listed their injuries. Each Death Eater had their file copied so that the Order could have a realistic tally of the battle.

Periodically, one of the Healers or apprentices would renew the sedation charms, scan each for any worsening conditions and take any necessary action.

Severus Snape stepped into the chaotic wing with great reluctance. However, he knew they would need to have the Potions stocks replenished. It was also under Dumbledore's request that he made an appearance to positively identify the Death Eater captives and bring the compiled files up to the Headmaster's Office for review before the scheduled meeting that evening.

"Severus! There you are. I've been wondering when you would finally show up," the matron exclaimed as she bustled from a bed towards the back.

"Madam, I had several other destinations before this. The Headmaster -", before he could finish, Madam Pomphrey grabbed him by the elbow and proceeded to escort him further in.

"I knew you would eventually come. You always do. Now dear, take off that cloak so that I can see your injuries properly," she scolded as she forcefully sat him down in a recently vacated bed.

Severus wrenched himself free. "I assure you, Madam, that I am only here to find out what you require and take a complete list of the captives to Dumbledore. I do _not_ need medical attention. I would think that as a Potions Master –,"

"Yes, yes. As a Potions Master you are well aware of what potions you need and their dosages to assure that you remain fit and healthy. And as _you_ are aware, _I_ am certified to dispense those potions, not _you_."

Before Severus could put up an argument, the mediwitch had him strapped to the bed and his cloak off with a wave of her wand. "There, now that wasn't so hard."

Her only answer was a glare that would cause even the best of Slytherins to cringe.

"Don't get petulant with me. Your shoulder is obviously injured and by the look of your clothes, burned. I have no intentions of dealing with a recalcitrant Potions Master throughout the victory celebrations sure to go on tonight."

With gentle fingers, she pulled the shirt away from the wound and examined the burned and blistered skin beneath. Severus hissed as the cloth was pulled away. Some of it stuck to his skin and in the open wound. As the cloth was separated from his shoulder, the burn started to ooze blood and plasma.

"Bloody woman," Severus grumbled.

Any further retort was cut off with a sharp glare from Madam Pomphrey. "It wouldn't hurt so much if you had come sooner and not let the cloth get stuck in the burn. You, of all people, should know the importance of cleaning wounds as soon as possible to prevent infection. As it is, you will have to wait here longer to make sure the infection is gone because you wasted so much time before you showed up."

The moment Poppy turned around to move towards the Potions Cabinet, Severus leapt from the cot. The first step he took was successful; however, the second step sent an electric shock through his whole body. The third violently repelled him back into bed.

A chuckle came from the cot next to him.

Severus's sharp, black eyes narrowed at the miscreant that dared to comment on his current predicament. "And just _what_ do you find so amusing Mr. Weasley?"

Bill looked at Severus with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. "All these years of suffering Madame Pomphrey's care, and you didn't expect her proximity wards?"

Snape turned away from the redhead. "She has forgotten before."

Bill could not help himself he dissolved into full-blown laughter.

* * *

The Headmaster was waiting in his chair, peering through his half moon-shaped glasses at a long roll of parchment. Every few minutes, another name would write itself on the list, inserting itself alphabetically. Although it was useful to be able to find the names of a particular individual, it was challenging to read the list straight through when it continuously updated and moved the text below. Because of this constant shifting of names, Albus Dumbledore had not yet finished his reading and was constantly having to start over at the top of the page to find the newest addition to the list. 

He was extremely grateful when a knock came at his interior office door. "Come in," he stated pleasantly.

A bedraggled Seventh Year entered the room carrying a large pile of parchment. "Sir, these are the comprehensive files on the Death Eaters we have in the Hospital Wing including their ailments and all treatments we have done to this point."

"Ah, thank you Mr. Whitcomb."

The Seventh Year set the stack down on the center of the desk.

"And Severus?"

"Professor Snape?"

The Headmaster nodded.

"Madam Pomphrey."

With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he dismissed the student. "I see. Well, Madam Pomphrey is likely expecting you back."

"Yes, sir."

The Seventh Year left, returning to the mayhem in process in the Hospital Wing.

Amused, the Headmaster put down the self-updating list of patients and picked up the substantially larger stack of papers on the Death Eaters. He was always impressed with the level of Madam Pomphrey's thoroughness. Each file was accompanied with a photograph of the person's face and any identifying marks. She made careful note to remove any glamours that they had placed upon themselves to conceal their identity or to frame another individual. Only two of the Death Eaters had placed full glamours on themselves, and those were individuals who had never been caught or related to the Death Eaters. If nothing else came from the battle, it was a large boon to have caught two spies in the Auror ranks.

There were several unidentified Death Eaters. But, he was sure that Severus would identify them and come up to his office…once he managed to escape from Madam Pomphrey's clutches, that is. The old man could not wait to see the aggravated Potions Master. Severus was truly amusing, especially when he was irritated and incapable of doing anything about it

* * *

It was two hours later when Albus heard aggravated grumbling coming from the stairwell. He pushed his spectacles up his nose and watched the door. He was not disappointed. The door swung open and the black-clad man stormed into the office, robes billowing out behind him. 

"Ah, Severus. How was your stay under Madam Pomphrey's impeccable care?"

The dark-haired man glared at the chipper Headmaster. "So, it _was_ deliberate."

"Of course it was, child. I had to know the names of the Death Eaters, after all."

Snape sneered. "That's not what I meant and you _know_ it, you old windbag!"

Dumbledore cheerfully sipped on his tea. "Perhaps. Now that you have some free time, you could help me with some of these unknown files." The Headmaster signaled to the chair across from him and placed a much smaller stack in front of it.

"And who, may I ask, is making the potions for that infernal woman?"

"Why Salazar, of course." Dumbledore always received a small thrill watching Severus deflate.

Severus sat down gracefully. He refused to let the old man fluster him more than was already apparent. He took the top file off of the pile and began to examine it. In short order, he conjured a quill and began filling in extra details in the margins of the already full paper.

Pleased with coming away from the wrong side of Severus's temper in one piece, Dumbledore sat back and continued his perusal of the Death Eaters in captivity in the Hospital Wing.

The two continued to work in silence for well over an hour. It was only when they were disturbed by a knocking on the Headmaster's door that they looked up from their work.

"Come in," invited the old man. He was mildly surprised to see the majority of the Order at his door. "Ah, I'm sorry. It seems that I was so absorbed in these files I forgot the time. Please have a seat, we have much to discuss."

Severus stood from his chair and replaced the documents he had been working on back in the pile.

As each new person filed in, a chair appeared in that individual's preferred spot. Severus's chair moved to the far side of the office, which was the maximum distance he could create between himself and the Marauders.

The office gradually filled in and the Order members were chatting excitedly. It had been many years since they had achieved such a resounding victory. Most battles were a careful tally of the missing and dead before it could be decided either way.

The four dimension travelers were the last to arrive. Harry made his way towards Severus. He had no intention of abandoning his friend, who had accepted him before his own parents.

James and Lily visibly wanted to move over to Harry and Severus's side of the room, but knew Severus would not appreciate James's presence. As it was, Lily had to remind James that since Severus had accepted Harry first, it was only natural that the two Slytherins would sit together. It was at times like these that Lily wondered why she ever felt the need to get married.

The rest made their way to the Weasleys in the center of the room. Molly Weasley was always capable of making room for more people in her heart, even if it was her alternate dimension son's girlfriend.

Hermione truly missed her parents. She knew they were alive here, but it seemed impossible to contact them and explain the entire situation. Their ability to handle magic was slightly different than being thrown into a completely bizarre situation that she was unsure they could handle. After watching Harry's own parents struggle with accepting him, she was not so confident of her own alternate parents' reactions. She was grateful for Mrs. Weasley's presence, though. It was enough to offer some comfort in this out of control situation.

"Severus, if you would please share your observations?" the Headmaster asked.

With a slight twist of his lips, the dark man stood to deliver his report. "Although it seemed as if it was a resounding victory, I feel it is imperative to inform you that their forces were subpar."

A collective hush fell on the assembled Order members.

"Several powerful, Inner Circle members were noticeably absent. I am certain that some were successfully detained and sent to Azkaban; however, Lucius Malfoy is far too clever for that."

He was interrupted by a shocked James Potter "Malfoy wasn't there?"

Snape sneered. "Of course not. He could easily overpower a grand majority of the Aurors. His mere presence would have thrown more weight to the Dark Lord."

"Then where was he?" a curious Tonks asked.

"I am not certain. However, I feel that there will be ramifications felt from his absence in the future. Whether because he decided not to help against Salazar -,"

A loud snort erupted from Sirius.

One furious glare later, Severus continued, "Or because he was working on another plan for the Dark Lord."

Albus looked over his half-moon spectacles at the Head of Slytherin. "What do you feel is the most likely case, Severus?"

Snape hesitated. "I believe Lucius is reevaluating his position."

Alastor Moody looked sharply at Severus. "Is that the Order member talking, or the ex-Death Eater on behalf of his best friend?"

Severus sneered back at the old Auror. "Both. I know Lucius better than anyone. He is far from stupid. His first priority has always been to come out the victor. He is not so vain as to believe he could defeat the Founders. That is sheer foolishness. And Lucius is no fool."

Dumbledore leaned forward, his fingers steepled together. "Would he consider changing sides?"

Severus looked directly at the Headmaster. "I do not know. I am fairly certain, though, that he no longer supports the Dark Lord in what Lucius would consider a fruitless battle."

It was clear that a large majority of the Order was vehemently against this line of thinking. Arthur Weasley's face was beet-red and steadily turning purple. Moody's eye was swirling madly and his face was twisted into a disgusted frown. James and Sirius looked like they were about to explode out of their seats.

Dumbledore, in an effort to calm the room, said, "Thank you, Severus, for your synopsis. It is indeed interesting news."

Severus sat down with a brief nod to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore continued, "However, the question still remains on how to ultimately defeat Tom."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny gazed at each other. It was Hermione who spoke, "Headmaster, it is possible that the method we used in our own dimension might work. However, I am unsure if the electromagnetic fields and magical fluxes differ between dimensions. It will take time to study the underlying currents before we are capable of mounting a successful strike."

The Headmaster smiled at her. "I am sure that nothing could stand in your way, Lady Ravenclaw."

Hermione sat down. She knew that she and Ginny would be holed up in her office examining texts and Hogwarts' own self-generated maps for a lengthy period of time.

Silence had fallen throughout the room. The gravity of the conversation was not lost on any of them. For the first time in over two decades there seemed to actually be a workable plan to end this war.

Dumbledore gazed at the group. "Well, I believe we all have celebrating to get to."

The Order stood and slowly shuffled out of the room, all lost in thought.

"James, Sirius … you too Remus."

The three turned around.

"No spiking the pumpkin juice this time please," the Headmaster said with an amused grin.

The Marauders left the office, Lily chastising them and their puerile behavior.

* * *

A stately eagle owl made its way through the Hogwarts corridors. It only slowed a moment as the door to Severus's rooms opened. Andor gracefully glided through the main room and landed on the desk in his workroom. Snape looked up in moderate surprise at the arrival of the familiar bird. Andor lifted up his talon for Severus to remove the parchment tied to it. The moment the bird was free of his burden, he took flight and vanished into the vastness of the castle. 

Severus deftly untied the roll of parchment and began reading.

_Severus,_

_Being isolated as I am, I must inquire as to the welfare of my heir. Narcissa is not handling our sudden lifestyle change well and I am concerned that she will make good on her threats. As she is also desperate for news from our son, I believe it would behoove the both of us if she were to move to Hogsmeade._

Severus let out a low chuckle. He was well acquainted with Narcissa's more volatile side and would not be surprised if she hexed Lucius into realizing his folly.

_In all honesty, old friend, I cannot help but question the Dark Lord's true motives if he is willing to risk the very fabric of time and magic to prove himself more powerful than his exalted ancestor. It is for this reason, and several others, that I was not present at the recent battle. As Narcissa so calmly reminded me, it is not appropriate for wizards of our stature to be tied into submission._

Snape smirked. Lucius knew better than to use the word calm with respect to his wife. She could be composed, but she was far too high strung to ever be calm.

_I understand my situation fully and the opinions of the Light Wizard. I can only hope that Salazar truly reforms our world in the image that you and I sought as young men. I only wish that I could speak to him once to assure myself of the future we have so longed for._

_Lucius Malfoy_

Severus knew it would be difficult to convince the Headmaster to even consider the possibility of allowing either Lucius or Narcissa to stay at Hogwarts. It seemed as if, wherever they were, they were at least safe from both the Ministry and Voldemort. Even Severus was unsure as to which ancestral home they could be at. However, he only _truly_ needed to convince the owner of the land.

It was with this thought that Severus quickly penned a note to Slytherin, asking him to meet him in his chambers for a private conversation.

* * *

It was late that evening when Severus and Harry finally met. The celebration had lasted well past midnight, and in the case of some people, was going to continue until well past dawn. Severus was glad to escape from the mayhem the drunken Marauders were causing, and was equally gleeful to slip away before the Headmaster had imbibed much more alcohol. In all honesty, Severus had no idea what the Headmaster was drinking, but it was multicolored and gave off a distinctly sweet smell that no decent liquor was supposed to. 

The silence in the Chamber was stunning after the cacophony in the castle above. Severus made his way to his private room in the Chamber. The ornately carved door still brought a strong sense of pride and tradition in the longevity of Wizarding-kind. And yet, it was this inability to adapt that led the Wizarding World to the war they were currently involved in. It was the proverbial double-edged sword.

Severus had only been sitting for ten minutes when there was a knock on the heavy door. He stood and opened the door himself. With a nod, he invited Harry into the room.

Harry sat in the chair opposite of his friend. Sylvia gracefully slithered into his lap from her perch on his shoulder.

Snape reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the folded piece of parchment that contained Lucius's letter. Wordlessly, he turned it over to the reincarnated Slytherin.

Harry took the letter and deftly flicked it open. One hand softly caressed the small black snake in his lap while he read the missive. He was truly stunned. It was a side he had never seen nor heard of from the elder Malfoy. His first instinct was to rule it as a trick and throw the letter in the fire. However, he knew Severus would never present him with this if he did not feel it had some weight. Harry looked between the elegant writing and the blank Potions Master's face.

"You want me to allow Lucius Malfoy to stay in Hogsmeade, when Voldemort just failed to gain entry to Hogwarts grounds," Harry calmly stated.

Snape shook his head. "No. I think that is far too risky. However, it might be a show of good faith to allow Narcissa to live in Hogsmeade."

Harry still looked wary. "Only if she submitted to living under the supervision of one of the other refugees. I can't trust her."

"In all reality, you would be doing Lucius a favor by getting her away from him."

Harry gave Severus an odd look. "For all that I have fought against that family; I must admit that I never bothered to look at their relationship all that closely. In all reality, I was more concerned with how to capture Lucius Malfoy and torture any and all information out of him." It was stated so fiercely, that Severus had to pause.

Although Severus knew Lucius was heavily wanted by the Order, there were others – like Mulciber – that they wanted even more, if only for the satisfaction of getting the murderous lunatic away from society.

"How can you be sure that this is not some ploy to subvert the wards?"

"I cannot be completely certain. However, considering the resounding defeat the Dark Lord suffered, this request falls well within the reaction I would expect from him. He serves his family and himself before anyone else."

"If I let Narcissa Malfoy into Hogsmeade, will you_ personally_ vouch for her?"

"What do you mean?" Snape asked warily.

"I may be willing to allow her to take refuge here; after all, it would be a large show of faith and greatly weaken Voldemort's army. If the spouse of a known Death Eater was safely housed within these wards, it would reduce the ferocity and desperateness of the Death Eaters themselves. However, Narcissa Malfoy is no victim of her husband. She may play at snobbish socialite, but behind that exterior is a vicious mind. If you have any doubts, just ask Helga about her treatment at the hands of the Lady Malfoy during her brief stint as prisoner."

Snape sat for a moment. "However, if she submitted to living with one of the Knockturn refugees, you would grant her access?"

Harry nodded. "And if you keep a close eye on her when she enters Hogwarts grounds to visit her son. I will also ask for an Unbreakable Vow from her to assure me that she will not attack anyone being sheltered by Hogwarts."

Severus paused. It was more in her style to receive vows from others, not give them. However, he was almost certain that she would do anything to get away from the 'hovel' she was supposedly living in.

"The best I can do is to send a request to them via the Malfoy's owl. I cannot guarantee that she will be a gracious guest, but she would never renege on an oath, let alone a Wizarding Oath."

"Then I will speak with some of the refugees in Hogsmeade and inquire who would be willing to host Mrs. Malfoy."

* * *

Rowena Ravenclaw's normally tranquil office was covered in books all open to various pages. Formulas were scribbled all over seemingly endless pieces of loose parchment. And in the middle of Hermione, Ginny and the stricken room was a large drawing of Hogwarts' Grounds. Blue lines ran in various directions, entering and exiting the picture at odd angles. On the periphery, there were a series of large red dots. About these dots, several red circles were drawn in increasing widths. The circles intersected the other radiating lines from the red points to form a buffer that encircled the entirety of the ancient Slytherin land. 

Unfortunately, because of these powerful waves, the blue ley lines could no longer be predicted and had warped from their original pattern. What was once a key focal point that the four had stood on to cast their joint spell at Voldemort in their home dimension, no longer existed. Troubled by this shift, the girls were struggling to find new patterns in the ley lines, quills rapidly moving as they mapped out drawings and calculations. However, neither of the reincarnated Founders were confident that they would be able to find a new center to draw upon.

Hermione looked up from her calculations and glared at the large map with a fierce intensity. It was refusing to yield to her, which only made her more determined to solve this riddle. One short, delicate finger idly traced the stone symbol at the edge of the wards. Its effects on the normally controlled and predictable lines were disconcerting. The warping and twisting of the lines could no longer be mapped and had added a third dimension into the constant power grid.

Her eyes widened in shock. It was not a _third_ dimension added, but a _fourth or fifth_. She quickly grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and overlaid it on top of the existing diagram. Ginny had to quickly move her hands out of the way and watched in stunned awe as Hermione began tracing as quickly as humanly possible. When done with the preliminary sketch, she added four large red dots in a circular pattern around the conjoining ley lines they had stood on. In their original dimension, their magic had combined and was focused like a funnel, with a large concentrated stream of magic shot at Voldemort.

Ginny stared at the image. It reminded her distinctly of the pattern carved on her door in the Chamber of Secrets. Unicorns would converge when magic was falling out of balance. It was noted that in those years, there was a surge of magical births. Immediately after the unicorns met was supposed to be the most fertile time for all magical creatures, Dark or Light, human or not, and the most noted influx of muggleborns to the magical community. If they met over ley lines and funneled their power into the world, they could conceivably amplify their own magic and spread it across the world, saving and preserving magic for as long as they were able.

Hermione reached her conclusion moments before Ginny. They sat there, stunned. It was easily apparent what had happened to send them to this world. The question now became if they could control where the vortex would send them. If they could, did they really want to go home?

**

* * *

A/N: I'm not going to be apologizing for the tardiness of this chapter, mostly because I have been working 22 hour days, and it's a miracle it ever got finished. The good news is that I have started on the next chapter and there will only be a total of two more chapters coming. I think everyone will enjoy chapter 16, several reviewers have been begging for something along these lines to happen, and it is very gratifying to know that this is what they want when I had always planned these last two chapters. Once this story is done, I will be deactivating my poll and start working out a full body outline for the winning story. If you are extremely vehement about which story you want to read most, send your extra vote to me via PM and I will keep a separate tally of those votes. Until I have a full working outline, I will be mostly focused on **_**Bloodshed**_**. So, hopefully that will come together well.**


	16. The Essence of Family

_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling._

A/N: No beta. Tons of excuses for not writing. Mostly just lost steam and drive to finish, but I've never stopped thinking about it. My beta (who introduced me to fanfiction) bailed on our friendship when she couldn't handle the idea of my dad having dementia and his gradually deteriorating condition. His comments grow more and more inappropriate, but such is the nature of the disease. The mini-strokes have eroded the frontal lobe of his brain, completely altering his personality. The good news is that he has not progressed in a typical manner and has not become angry or violent. He is overly cheerful, makes incredibly insensitive jokes and generally acts like a 15 year old boy with the self-control of a 3 year old. All in all, it could be worse, but it is apparently enough for her to never call or even come over to my house which is 30 minutes away from my parents.

Anyways, the long overdue chapter awaits. Do enjoy.

_Previously:_

_Hermione reached her conclusion moments before Ginny. They sat there, stunned. It was easily apparent what had happened to send them to this world. The question now became if they could control where the vortex would send them. If they could, did they really want to go home?_

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Essence of Family**

Harry and Severus stood at the borders of Hogsmeade. Their cloaks furled about them in the wind as they awaited the arrival of Narcissa Malfoy. It was already ten minutes past her stated arrival time, but Severus was certain that she was giving Lucius one final earful before she departed.

The wind sped up and began swirling just outside of the wards. The portkey's vortex deposited Lady Malfoy in its wake … or rather who the two men assumed was Lady Malfoy.

The woman's typically pristine appearance was marred by the clothes that had seen too many _scourgifies _and the threads were starting to fade. Some of the hems had come loose, particularly around the sleeves. Her skin was pink in places and red in others where the sun baked on unprotected areas. Lady Malfoy's eyes shifted nervously, as if expecting to be attacked at any moment. Encouraged by the silence, she stepped as close to the wards as she dared.

Harry stepped forward and bowed. Taking her hand, he let his lips touch it briefly and introduced himself. "Lady Malfoy, I welcome you to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. I am Lord Salazar Slytherin."

Narcissa's lips quirked upwards. She seemed relieved at this return to normality. "Lord Slytherin, it is truly an honor to meet you. Thank you for inviting me to stay on your land in this difficult time."

Harry gave a small smile. "You should thank Severus, he campaigned for you to be admitted to the town."

Narcissa gave a warm smile to the Potions Master. "Severus has been a lifelong friend. I have every confidence in him as a wizard."

Without further ado, Harry waved his wand over Narcissa's heart. A burst of magic encompassed her and seeped into her skin, leaving her softly glowing. Relieved, she crossed the wards and entered the only sanctuary left in Britain for those not seen as purely Light.

"Where's Draco, Severus? I expected him to meet me upon my arrival."

Harry lifted an eyebrow and gave Severus a half smirk, as to remind him that she was officially his problem.

"Draco remains at the castle, as all of the students do."

"Very well. Shall we be off then?"

"Off _where_, exactly?"

"Really Severus, has the Headmaster finally rotted your brain with his infernal sweets?" Narcisssa seemed genuinely confused as she examined Severus. "To the castle to see my son, _your_ godson."

Snape laid a hand on her right forearm. On the surface it appeared to be a friendly, comforting gesture. However, it served multiple purposes, the most important of which was to restrain her wand arm and spare himself any debilitating hexes when she did not receive the answer she wanted.

"Cissa, you are well aware that the students are not permitted visitors during the school year unless the situation is dire."

Narcissa glared at the Head of Slytherin. "And you do not think Lucius being in hiding from the Ministry on a spit of land that can barely support human life is not dire? Tell me Severus, what counts as dire enough to visit my son."

"Nothing that you are currently suffering."

Narcissa knew she could say nothing to Severus at the moment. Her time to protest would come, but it was not then. She would wait and be patient. She had more important things to concern herself with than her obstinate friend. She placed her other hand over his in a farce of understanding. With calculated precision, she curled her fingers around his hand and dug her jagged fingernails into his palm.

Snape barely winced, but the victory was hers.

Narcissa was in shock and not a small amount of horror. Her only consolation was that her assigned living place was better than what she had come from. The landlady she had to answer to, however, was far less easy to handle than her husband.

The old woman reminded Narcissa of a Darker, more dangerous Molly Weasley. She bustled about the dusty attic, rearranging decrepit furniture as if moving it would make it appear less dingy. The only positive was that it was not infested with the creatures that had overrun the Malfoy Legacy.

Maggie Rattison smiled, showing off her broken front teeth and decaying bicuspids. "I know it's not what you're used to, but I'm happy to help out a mother in this difficult time."

Narcissa gave the woman a nod, hoping to dismiss her from the room; but she just took it as the go ahead to continue prattling on.

"I make breakfast every morning at 6 for the tenets in this building and the others in this district. I ask that all of my boarders help with the upkeep of the building. So, just get settled in tonight. Dinner is served every night at 7 at the Hogs Head for this district. Tomorrow, observe what needs to be done and what you feel you could contribute."

Narcissa was horrified. She thought she had left manual labor behind with the hovel she had been living in. She was denied access to her son, she was being supervised, and she now had to find some way to contribute to this refugee camp that more than likely did not include etiquette or dancing. With a troubled mind, the former aristocrat lay down on the old bed and fell asleep.

* * *

Harry and Ron were dressed in muggle clothes for their excursion. Ginny had volunteered to keep Hermione occupied while they were gone. The last they had seen her, the redhead was carrying piles of papers and books to Ravenclaw's Office; so, they felt extremely confident that they would have enough time to achieve their goals and get back before Hermione grew suspicious.

The two men had only been in this neighborhood once, and then it had been night, with the foreground taken over with fire.

This was an entirely different scene. Voldemort had no need, in this dimension, to make the Grangers a priority. The upper class neighborhood was peaceful. A couple of young children were playing tag in their yard. Three more houses down the road, they arrived at their destination.

Ron nervously adjusted his shirt. He had only met Hermione's parents once; and they had died a mere four days later. Harry waited for his friend to get settled, then rang the doorbell.

It was a tense twenty seconds as they waited for the door to be answered. Neither was sure how they would be received, nor were they confident that the Grangers would believe what they were going to explain.

A tall man with light brown, wavy hair answered the door. "May I help you?"

Seeing that Ron was not sure how to begin, Harry took the lead. "We're friends of Hermione's. May we come in?"

Dr. Granger nodded. "Of course." He opened the door fully and let the two in and escorted them to the sitting room before asking, "Can I get you anything?"

Harry and Ron shook their heads.

"My wife will be home shortly. She was finishing up with the last patient when I left half an hour ago." John Granger paused, observing the two young men across from him. He had never seen them about the neighborhood and Hermione never mentioned any boys she was close to. "How do you know my daughter?"

"We're from Hogwarts …"

"I'm her fiancé …" they answered simultaneously.

John blinked, "What?!" he answered incredulously.

Ron winced. He nervously chuckled, "Well, not exactly _your_ Hermione's fiancé."

John was thoroughly confused. He was about to demand an explanation when the front door opened and closed.

"I just don't understand people, John. How someone can expect to not have problems with their mouth once they've had their jaw bashed with a metal pipe, I'll never know." She broke off as she entered the sitting room and saw that they had company. "Oh. Hi."

"Hi, Mrs. Granger." Harry and Ron greeted.

"Who are you?"

Before Ron could cause anymore damage, Harry responded, "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. We wanted to explain a situation that's been happening and ask for your assistance."

"Our help?" John asked. "What could we help with in the Wizarding World?"

Jane made her way around the sofa and sat next to her husband.

"What do you know about alternate realities?"

Both of Hermione's parents frowned.

"Theoretical physics was never something I was interested in," replied John. Jane nodded, silently agreeing with her husband.

"A couple of months ago, there was an anomaly that caused four people from an alternate reality to be dropped into this one. So now there are some duplicates of people here."

"An alternate Hermione?"

Harry nodded.

John pointed at Ron. "And you're her fiancé."

Ron's face flushed and he gave a small smile. "Yes."

"So you would also be an alternate?" Jane asked Harry.

"To an extent. My double here died 16 years ago."

Not knowing how to respond to that, the Grangers let that subject drop.

Ron glanced at Harry and picked up the conversation. "We've all been really lucky and have been able to see our families here. We were hoping you would want to come to Hogwarts and spend some time with our Hermione."

"Would this all be explained to our Hermione as well?" John asked.

Harry nodded. "It would be too awkward to leave her out of the loop. I'm sure she would also take comfort in knowing you were safe at Hogwarts away from any possible Death Eater attacks."

Jane worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "We'll have to let our partner, Dr. Smythe, know we'll be taking vacation. Hopefully, he will be able to take over the patients in our absence. Patients will also have to be rescheduled so that he can handle the workload on his own. Is there any way that we could come late tomorrow afternoon? It's just too much to organize in one night."

Harry nodded, with a relieved smile on his face. "We could pick you up at King's Cross at 4?"

John reached beside him and grasped his wife's hand. "That would be perfect."

* * *

The young, confused Hermione sat stiffly in the Headmaster's Office. Unfortunately, the old man was not addressing her for anything other than to offer lemon drops. The only thing keeping her from lashing out at Dumbledore was the fact that he seemed truly unconcerned; if something had happened, she would not still be waiting for an explanation.

Dumbledore's gaze shifted to the door. His eyes sparkled. "Well, my dear, this is where I shall leave you." With that, he stood and gracefully exited his office.

Hermione barely had the chance to feel abandoned. Not ten seconds after the Headmaster's retreat, Lords Slytherin and Gryffindor entered, dressed as Muggles. They were followed closely by the two people she cared most about in the world.

"Mum! Dad!" she exclaimed as she stood from the chair and ran into their waiting arms.

"Hello Darling," whispered her father into her hair.

"What's wrong? Why are you here? Nothing happened, did it?" Hermione fired off in rapid succession.

Her parents chuckled at the typical ranting of their daughter. "No, nothing is wrong. These two gentlemen approached us with some very interesting news and invited us to the castle. We had no intention of turning them down."

Hermione looked at Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin warily. "What could they want with you?"

John and Jane Granger shared a look, both unsure as to how much they were allowed to share with their daughter.

Harry whispered to Ron, "Why don't you get Lady Ravenclaw while I explain the basics here."

Ron nodded and quietly vacated the office in search of his fiancé. He quickly made his way to her study, where she was attempting to reconstruct the exact events that happened on the night they defeated Voldemort. He stood to one side and watched her sketch on a large piece of parchment. She was muttering to herself and occasionally pulling her hair around her neck so that she could continue to read and write without it getting in her way. Nervously, Ron took a breath and interrupted her musings. "Hermione?"

She looked up from her work, slightly startled. "Yes, Ron?"

"There is something that you need to see in the Headmaster's Office."

Her eyebrows pulled together slightly at his vague statement. As she opened her mouth to question him, he interrupted again. "It's best if you just see for yourself then have me try to explain."

She put down her quill and rolled up the parchment she was working on. The moment everything was organized, she gave him a small nod and followed him out the door and to the Headmaster's Office.

The reincarnated Lady Ravenclaw stood at the doorway to the office, shocked. Her parents, who she had barely finished grieving for, were there hugging this dimension's Hermione.

They looked up from their private moment and stared at the new Hermione. Physically, they looked similar, but the Lady in front of them carried herself with confidence. They could see how she could command respect. Her physique was also more defined. This was an intelligent, powerful and in control witch. They knew she must have started similarly to their daughter, but the events in her dimension caused such an extreme difference it was nearly unfathomable.

The Ravenclaw Heir finally found her voice and turned towards Harry. "Could I have a quick word with you, Lord Slytherin?"

Harry nodded and followed her out of the office and shut the door between the office and the antechamber so that they could speak freely. "I'm going to hazard a guess and say that Ron neglected to explain what was going on."

"You could say that."

It fell silent and Harry took the time to study her reactions. She looked deeply troubled and confused. However, it was clear to him that the longing for her family she had managed to suppress was brought back to the forefront of her mind.

"Do they know about the dimension travelling? Are they alright with the idea of a duplicate of their daughter? I was just getting used to the idea of being without them and suddenly, they are here again. I am not sure how I am supposed to react to all of this."

"Yes, they were shocked to learn of your presence. But, they were only momentarily stunned. They showed no reluctance in wanting to meet you."

"Are you certain?"

"They are your family, Hermione. They took it about how the Weasley's did, except, without the instantaneous belief in the situation."

Hermione placed her hand on his forearm and looked directly into his eyes. "You are going to such great lengths to ensure the rest of us are happy. Why don't you let go of some of you fear and let the Potters more into your life? Or do you really want to back to our world so much that you would sacrifice this opportunity?" She patted his arm reassuringly. "Thank you for bringing my parents here." With that, she turned and reentered the office. The door shut quietly behind her, leaving Harry in the antechamber to his thoughts.

* * *

Harry sat in his bedroom contemplating everything his Hermione had said. If he was honest with himself, he could tell that this was the happiest his friends and girlfriend had been in well over a year.

Personally, the dreams he had always had for a family were closer to fantasies. Fantasies conceived in the darkness of his cupboard and whispered to the spiders. It was everything he had ever wanted and everything he secretly feared. The initial rejection had stung; but, with the Dursley's constant belittling of him and the Wizarding World's fickle public opinion, it was moderately expected.

Their relationship gradually improved with the dinners and Violet's not so subtle prodding. Harry was sure that his unease was the main culprit, at this point, for the lack of familial closeness.

There was nothing emotionally tying them to their original dimension. They had plenty of responsibilities that they could be handed. After all, Wizarding Society had fallen apart. However, it was not their fault that the Ministry of Magic had waited too long to protect itself from the Dark Lord and his followers.

Harry took his boots off, quickly followed by his pants and shirt. Laying down in the warm bed, he could not help but feel that their transportation through space-time was less of an accident and more of Fate weaving a complex pattern into the fabric of the universe.

* * *

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, numbly staring at the schedules for next year. Severus had once again demanded that the Gryffindor and Slytherin First Years not be placed together for Potions. The Head of Slytherin's other demand was to not have them as the first class on Monday morning as he needed to be alert to keep the two factions from killing each other in their "idiotic attempts at blowing each others' brains out with unknown chemical reactions". The Headmaster always enjoyed Severus's arguments; they were insightful, refreshing and wholly entertaining. Severus had even come up with a contingency demand of timing because he knew the Headmaster was too stubborn to give up on his consistent arguments to force the children to work together.

Scratching his chin, Dumbledore scribbled the First Year Gryffindor/Slytherin Potions Class into the one o'clock time slot and moved the Third Year Hufflepuff/Ravenclaws to the earlier slot that had been vacated. With a twinkle in his eyes, he contemplated Severus's reaction to the new time schedule. He hoped it would make the normally stoic man pause and perhaps make the man easier to talk with on Monday mornings.

In the midst of his contemplations of how to rearrange the Hufflepuff Transfiguration schedule that was affected by the Potions change, his floo lit up with green flames.

"You have to help! Death Eaters have invaded the Ministry!" the Minister bellowed through the fire.

Dumbledore dropped his quill, splattering ink across his newly revised schedule. Without pausing, he sent his patronus to Headquarters and Fawkes flashed away to call the rest. Several of the portraits abandoned their posts and went in search of their respective assignments.

Within moments, the office was filled with popping, flashing and panting wizards. The entire Order, plus the Founders had arrived at the emergency summons, having stopped whatever they had been doing. Sirius was dripping with water and covered in only a small towel around his waist. A puddle was steadily forming beneath his feet. Snape sneered at the man's ineptitude, as Remus and James cast drying charms and transfigured the towel into clothes.

Dumbledore winked at the Marauders before dropping the bad news. "Death Eaters are attacking the Ministry and the Minister has requested our aid." The Headmaster waved at the fire, indicating the Minister's head still present.

Harry stepped towards the fire and gave Fudge a piercing glare. "The Ministry is under attack and you require our assistance."

The man nodded, "Yes."

"So, you are ready to repeal that farce of a Bill and accept the _entire_ Magical Community."

"What?! It's _their_ fault this is happening. They should be strung up for their crimes!"

Harry blinked, momentarily stunned at the absolute stupidity displayed by the man in the fire. "Then I have no choice but to decline. I will not risk my people for someone who wants them dead. Good day, Minister. And good luck." With that, Harry closed the floo connection on the still blubbering moron.

Harry turned around to see the slightly disturbed or upset faces of the Order. Deciding quickly, he went for the most vocal and most troublesome, Ron.

Ron saw his best friend give him a long look and asked, "Is it right to leave those people to die because of one idiot?"

"The Aurors did not have to enforce the AD-WEB to the extent that they did, yet they still evicted harmless residents and arrested children because they were unfortunate enough to be abandoned on the streets of Knockturn Alley."

"There are more people in the Ministry than Aurors and the Minister."

"Yes. But the Ministry is responsible for protecting those people. You signed the letter just the same as the other Founders. If Dumbledore and the Order want to help, that is their call; but there is no reason werewolves, vampires, veela, or any other person that is affected by the AD-WEB should die defending a Ministry that would rather see them dead."

Ron still seemed slightly disgruntled at being held back from a battle, but the other faces cleared as they realized that they were not being prevented from helping those in danger. It was clear that Harry looked on the situation as an alliance of two powerful forces, not the same army.

Dumbledore turned to Severus, "We could use your help and expertise there. Will you be willing to come? Or will you be staying here?"

Severus gave the Headmaster a long look. He had expected the man to order him to the battle without contemplating his possible allegiances. It was no more than he had grown accustomed to; so, the mere question made him take pause. "I will help." Holding his hand up, he paused any further conversation. "However, I will not hold back from attacking the Death Eaters by any means necessary. The protection of the innocents at the Ministry should transcend my methods of doing so. If the Aurors or anyone else at the Ministry attempts to capture or subdue me for using Dark magic, I will leave them to their own devices."

Dumbledore looked deeply into Severus's black eyes and nodded solemnly. "I appreciate any assistance you will give Severus."

The old wizard looked back at the rest of the Order members assembled. "We will enter the main Atrium; the most chaos is likely to be occurring there. It is imperative that we rescue the civilians from the fray and prevent unnecessary loss of life. Because the battle is already underway, we do not have time to discuss the fine details. I trust all of you to make sound decisions and to come back safely." With that, Dumbledore held out his hand. As everyone gathered grabbed his arm, Fawkes settled on his shoulder and flashed them to the scene of the battle, leaving nothing but a slightly singed carpet behind.

* * *

**A/N: I needed to split this up because of the trouble the battle was causing in completion. Besides, this works well as its own subject without a massive battle scene muddling it up.**


	17. And It All Came Tumbling Down

_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong only to the genius of Ms. Rowling._

_Beta: InsaneAlert  
_

_Previously:_

_The old wizard looked back at the rest of the Order members assembled. "We will enter the main Atrium; the most chaos is likely to be occurring there. It is imperative that we rescue the civilians from the fray and prevent unnecessary loss of life. Because the battle is already underway, we do not have time to discuss the fine details. I trust all of you to make sound decisions and to come back safely." With that, Dumbeldore held out his hand. As everyone gathered grabbed his arm, Fawkes settled on his shoulder and flashed them to the scene of the battle, leaving nothing but a slightly singed carpet behind._

* * *

**Chapter 17: And it All Came Tumbling Down**

Death Eaters flooded the Atrium. People screamed in terror as green flashes burned through the air. Alarms blared through the Ministry. Aurors streamed past bystanders and into the fray. There was a desperate aura around them. They knew they were outnumbered and because of politics, there was little chance of reinforcements arriving.

Ten floors below, in the Department of Mysteries, the Unspeakables were locking down their labs. The self-destruct wards were set to prevent dangerous information falling into Voldemort's hands. With the Department of Mysteries contained, the Unspeakables congregated in the Entrance Room. As the last one entered, all of the doors shut and the torches went out. In moments, the Unspeakables lit their wands, confused by the odd occurrence. As the room started to glow with wand light, white skulls could be seen along the edges of the circular room.

As one, the Death Eaters attacked the momentarily frozen Unspeakables. The ones on the outside of the group fell quickly, their bodies temporarily shielding their compatriots closer to the center. The remaining Unspeakables furiously attacked the Death Eaters. Spells flew back and forth between the elite of Voldemort's forces and the elite of the Ministry's. Spell-for-spell, they were equally powerful. But the Dark Wizards did not allow themselves to be trapped into playing fairly; they pushed every advantage they had in their arsenal, happily delving into their most powerful spells that no Light Wizard could handle.

The elite Death Eaters, led by Rookwood, a former Unspeakable himself, maneuvered their way expertly through the spell-fire. There was little the Unspeakables could do, surrounded and caught off guard, they fell. As the last one died, he muttered the words to trigger the self-destruct wards, hoping to take all of the Death Eaters to the grave with secrets locked in the Department of Mysteries. His brown eyes glazed over, and his breath shuddered to a halt. The last image he saw was of Rookwood taking off his mask, bending over him and smirking.

Augustus Rookwood stood as his former coworker expired. Lifting his wand, he muttered to the room at large, "The secrets of the universe will never be truly discovered."

The tension in the air vanished as the self-destruct wards were deactivated by his command.

"We have other places to be."

With that, the Death Eaters followed their Commander out of the Department of Mysteries and into the main portion of the Ministry. Now that they had secured the most valuable portion, materialistically; their next goal was to target all Department Heads and the Minister himself.

The Dark Lord knew that he was losing his followers to Slytherin. So, he had to make a strong show against the Ministry. It was vital to show the creatures that he would not be satisfied with offering them refuge, but would destroy anything that prevented them from taking their rightful place in the world. It was discouraging that he had lost several important supporters through the effectiveness of the ridiculous bill and the appearance of a legendary figure form the past. An overwhelming victory here would rectify the devastating losses they had faced at Hogwarts.

With these reminders to keep them focused on their objectives, the elite Death Eaters made their way up the stairs, killing as many powerful and influential people as they could along the way. The more ineffectual, they left alone. It was crucial for some to live, to spread the word of the Dark Lord's power and demonstrate that he was capable of mercy, as long as there was no resistance.

Finally after several floors, they arrived at the one that they were truly interested in. Grandiose double doors heralded their arrival at the Minister's office. With a well-aimed curse, bluish-white light left Rookwood's wand and blasted a crater in the middle of the two doors. The Death Eaters swarmed into the office to find it deserted. Pulling out their wands, they scanned the area for any sign of life. A fly in one corner met its untimely demise, but not another living thing moved in the room.

The younger Barty Crouch sidestepped away from the group and motioned them to be quiet. The older Death Eaters knew better than to question the young man when it came to Ministry secrets.

Walking around the desk in the center of the room, he waved his wand, scanning for any trigger wards. The area was clean. In fact, there was absolutely no magical residue being reported from beneath the desk. His face lit up with a twisted grin. With his left hand, he motioned for the others to join him.

Curious about what was so interesting about the desk, the others came over and gathered about to see what the young Crouch would uncover.

The sandy-haired man kept his wand pointed at the floor with his right hand. Using his left, he groped under the desk until he found an unusual bump. Gleefully, he pressed the knot.

The carpet below their feet rolled away, exposing the bare floor. As they watched, wards shimmered and fell away, revealing a trap door. In moments, the door receded, leaving a gaping hole below the desk. Hiding in that pit was the Minister of Magic. He was curled up, trying not to be seen, but the light from the office left him in full view of the Death Eaters waiting above.

"Now, now, Minister. Surely you aren't afraid of your old friends?"

The pudgy man blinked, "Barty?"

"Is it really such a shock? I have seen firsthand this government falling apart and rotting away. That will all be resolved before the day is out."

Barty nodded to Rookwood. The former Unspeakable sent a dark smile at the man in the hole. With a swish of his wand, the green light struck the Minister between his eyes, effectively lopping off the head of the British government.

The youngest Crouch addressed his compatriots. "Those of you assigned to my team, we are through here. Rookwood, I hope you enjoy making an example of the Minister and the other Heads."

Three-quarters of the group left the Minister's office, following Barty upstairs and towards the Aurors' offices. The remainder stayed behind and helped Augustus pull the dead body from the hide-a-way and set to work defacing the remains. One of the still masked Death Eaters transfigured the Minister's chair into a spike. With a powerful banishing charm, he shoved the spike clear through Fudge's body, leaving it impaled lengthwise. They left the blood and innards spewing from the body. The others quickly set to work enlarging the carpet so that they could wrap the grisly body in it and transport it quickly to the Atrium for display.

* * *

Dumbledore and the Order members not already in the Ministry roughly landed on the sidewalk outside of the phone booth entrance. The battle-ready group knew this meant that the siege was well underway if there were anti-Apparition wards up surrounding the Atrium. That left them with the elevator entrance which would act like a funnel, making their approach extremely dangerous.

Silently, they readied their wands and pushed into the red phone booth. Dumbledore picked up the receiver and answered the automated operator.

"Order of the Phoenix. To assist the Aurors in battle."

Twenty badges fell from the coin return. Dumbledore passed them to the witches and wizards crammed into the elevator with him as the floor began its agonizingly slow decent into the mayhem below.

Everyone knew their pairings well. They were well-versed in how to work as a unit. The silence was tense and troubled, knowing they would be severely outnumbered.

The elevator dinged open. Acrid smoke billowed into the tiny compartment, but McGonagall did not hesitate to immediately start casting. Before any Death Eaters could focus fire on the Order members, the Professor erected a brick wall in front of the doors, effectively blocking any incoming spells. The debris that littered the floor in front of the group was quickly transformed into more bricks for defensive positions and allowed the Order to exit into the chaos as safely as possible.

Dumbledore and McGonagall took positions just outside of the elevator doors and continued to reinforce the walls as the Death Eater spells pelted and chipped away at them. The first to rush out were James and Sirius. They were notorious duelers and more than capable of handling themselves at the point position. They maneuvered from wall to wall, quickly getting into position to attack the Dark Lord's minions. Right behind them, Fred and George Weasley rushed up to their positions, portable swamps and Peruvian darkness powder in hand.

At the signal from James, Fred launched the darkness powder over the barrier and into the center of the Atrium. Sirius pivoted around the wall and immediately started casting stunners. He could not cast more dangerous spells due to the chances of hitting innocents in the cross-fire. It was only a matter of seconds, but he could hear some of his spells taking down people as they hit the ground. Either way, it took out a Death Eater or removed a civilian from the middle of the deadly battle. Green spells quickly started coming at the crumbling barrier, forcing Sirius to spin back into cover.

Once the terrified Ministry workers realized that help had arrived, any still able to walk, run or crawl began hurrying towards the elevators and the barriers. Bill and Charlie Weasley made their way up to a wall just behind the advancing group and cast defensive wards between the two adjacent brick walls. Working together, they quickly pulled the civilians towards safety and, more importantly, towards Lily and Remus who were working in tandem to rapidly heal any immediately threatening wounds before Portkeying them to St. Mungo's.

The Death Eaters seemed to realize that they were not able to rack up their body count anymore and started dispersing the smoke and the Peruvian darkness powder. The air started to clear in the Atrium, forcing the rest of the Order to evacuate the elevator and take up their ready positions. Severus and Emmeline Vance, both excellent at the Dark Arts, moved up to join Bill and Charlie. As the air began to thin and shapes took form on the other side, the Order rushed to face the Death Eaters laying waste to the Ministry.

Dumbledore and McGonagall moved from their defensive positions to the front of the attack. James and Sirius sidestepped to their right, focusing their spells on the swarm of black-clad wizards along the far wall, closest to the fireplaces. Severus and Emmeline moved through the wards and shifted into position to Dumbledore's left and flung a barrage of acidic colored spells across the Atrium.

The red-haired twins changed over to their portable swamps, levitated the small devices between the lines and dropped them. The moment the small boxes touched the ground, viscous mud and bog sprung up from the floor, cutting off any forward movement the Death Eaters could make.

The Order's rapid advancement only concerned those present. They knew that these were not the Inner Circle Death Eaters. Under a heavy barrage, seven teams of two spread out, casting a rainbow of spells, each pair working in unison to drive the Death Eaters away from the wounded and down into the lower parts of the Ministry.

George pulled out their Wizard Space bag and grabbed a box labeled DANGER: Explosives. The twins set the box on the ground and set off their target-locking fireworks. The red rockets shot off at a high velocity towards the Death Eaters, beeping as they tracked their movements. Seeing the red blurs whiz by them, the Order members cast simultaneous _Protegos_ in time to shield themselves from the blast.

Each firework left a three foot diameter crater in the floor and bloody limbs flung in all directions from the blasts. The remaining Death Eaters were forced to fall back towards the stairways and far offices where they had more cover from the twins' projectiles.

Slowly, the Order pressed their advantage, for once not standing on ceremony, allowing themselves to fully fight their opposition. They knew that the Ministry was a loss and they had no fear of being put on charges for using Dark Magic of their own. The fight grew vicious between the last ten remaining Death Eaters and the push of the Order.

Lily and Remus cast from the back intermittently as they dropped portkeys on the still bodies lying on the Atrium floor. There was no time to separate out the dead from the stunned.

A black mass of Death Eaters surged from the stairwell and behind their flagging friends. Seeing the large group, the Order knew they would not be able to hold out much longer. Molly and Percy Weasley moved to a wider angle to try to improve the coverage of the floor and shield the wounded until they could be removed. Dorcas Meadows and Caradoc Dearborn shifted more into the gap provided.

The Death Eaters, emboldened by the arrival of their leaders from the bowels of the Ministry, gained a second wind and started casting with renewed fervor. Green spells lit up the Atrium floor, forcing the Order members to dodge, duck or transfigure stone into the paths of the deadly spells. The ricochet from several of the spells went wide and caused more structural damage to the building. Percy quickly cast a _Protego_ over himself and his mother's position as mortar crumbled from the ceiling. During his brief distraction, Amycus Carrow cast a severing charm and decapitated the third eldest Weasley child.

The Weasley matriarch had no time to register the loss of her son. Knowing the Weasley fury, the Carrows worked together, casting directly at her, not allowing her a respite to regroup. Dorcas and Caradoc were busy with the new surge from the Death Eaters, trying to duel five at a time. Their side was failing and it was quickly becoming apparent that they would have to fall back.

James, Sirius, Severus and Emmeline consolidated towards the center of their line and started inching backwards, trying to buy everyone enough time to get back to the elevators.

Barty Crouch moved towards the front and started working on dispelling one the portable swamps. His spellwork was crisp and efficient, shrinking the obstruction to allow Voldemort's ranks around and to press their advantage.

Seeing Percy's body lost behind the Death Eater line, Molly let out an animalistic scream, tears pouring from her eyes. She cast wide, arching spells. Amycus and Alecto Carrow were caught unprepared. The Prewett line shone true as the brother and sister duo exploded and rained down on the other Death Eaters in fiery chunks.

Dorcas left Caradoc's side and grabbed Molly around the waist, pulling her towards the elevator. Caradoc cast a wide-angle shield, holding off a quick response from the disturbed Death Eaters. He backed towards Molly and Dorcas, funneling as much energy he could into the broad protective dome. Death Eater spells bounced off, pummeling his defense and draining him even further. The shield flickered once, and then collapsed. Caradoc dodged to his right and missed the canary yellow spell, but could not get out of the way of a fast moving _Bombarda_. He let out a pained yell as his shoulder shattered under the force. Not paying any more attention to his enemy, he ran full out towards Dorcas and Molly, desperate to get everyone out of the way of the crushing Death Eater army.

Agonizingly drawn out seconds later, the remaining members of the Order were back behind the half-destroyed brick walls and tumbling into the elevator. Molly was wildly sobbing onto Dorcas's shoulder, grieving for her son and terrified for her husband. Arthur was at the Ministry that morning. She could only hope that the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office had been overlooked and that he managed to escape during the early part of the invasion.

Snape was pressing his hand into a cut on Emmeline's side. The traditional _Episkey_ was not sealing the gaping wound. If they were fortunate, the elevator would shield them long enough to have everyone grab a Portkey and take them to the Hogwarts infirmary before she bled out. Severus was trying to keep her responsive and conscious until he could grab the button in his hand, but the blood was causing it to slip in his fingers. Rapidly wiping his free hand against his robes, he tried to grab it again and was able to hold it securely.

The elevator was empty by the time it reached the surface. All of the Order members had activated their Portkeys. The Hogwarts infirmary received the battered crew of nineteen. Madame Pomfrey did not have to look any further than the distraught red heads to know what happened to the twentieth member.

* * *

The smoke was still settling over the floors. Bodies lay piled in various corners. The only ones remaining in the Ministry were the Death Eaters. It was a resounding victory. To make matters even better, the Dark Lord did not need to step in and handle any problems. For once, his faithful had proved themselves capable. There would be celebrations tonight and he would be generous with rewards. The most critical and delicate part was masterfully handled by Rookwood. It was imperative for Voldemort to gain control over the Department of Mysteries. If he was to win not only the battle, but the war, he would need to figure out a way around killing his own ancestor.

Currently, he was leaning towards a solution that involved sending the four Founders back to their own time so that he would both win the war and guarantee his existence. There were many avenues to pursue in the most secretive section of the Ministry. Knowing that a report was filed with the Ministry the night of the Founders' appearance, his first stop would be the Auror Department to see if he could locate a detailed report of the happenings that night.

The self-proclaimed Dark Lord stepped over the body of Kingsley Shacklebolt in the hallway outside of the Aurors' Office. Inside, papers were scattered over the floor, some soaked up the blood they had landed in. Others were stuck against walls. And still others lay singed and slightly smoking on desks. Voldemort stepped over the bodies and started to clean up and salvage the papers. He would normally have a minion do this monotonous work, but instead, he would have them go through the paperwork piece by piece to find the records of the night that turned his war on its head. Now, though, was a time for smelling and savoring the glorious burnt air of his victory.

* * *

**A/N: Just want to give a special thank you to InsaneAlert who graciously beta-ed this chapter and helped get it out to everyone!**


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